Taiwan would send the wrong message to the world if it decides to shorten mandatory military service, former US secretary of defense Mark Esper told a local TV news program on Monday.
Esper made the remarks in an online interview, together with Minister of Foreign Affairs Joseph Wu (吳釗燮), in the program TVBS Meeting Room.
The two were asked about a statement by New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜), the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) presidential candidate, that he would consider a shorter four-month compulsory military service if elected president.
Photo: AFP
Hou later said that shortening the service period would be based on the premise that a peaceful and stable relationship has been established across the Taiwan Strait.
Esper said that restoring military service to one year is “a courageous decision” on the part of President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文).
Washington has made a commitment to Taiwan that can be traced back to the Taiwan Relations Act of 1979, he said.
However, to garner the full support of Americans, “I think Taiwan should do everything that it can as well to show that Taiwan and the Taiwanese people are committed to their own self-defense as well,” he said.
The commitment includes “doing things that require sacrifice,” such as young people serving in the military and increasing defense spending, he added.
Shortening the service period again would send “all the wrong signals to the United States and to Taiwan’s other supporters around the world,” he said.
He cited the example of Ukraine, saying that the US is inspired to support Ukraine as Ukrainians — men and women alike — are willing to pick up arms and fight for their country.
If Taiwan goes in the opposite direction, it would prompt questions about the resolve of Taiwanese, he said.
Americans might ask themselves: “Why should I send our sons and daughters to fight in Taiwan if Taiwanese boys and girls won’t fight for their own country?” he said.
Wu agreed, saying that Taiwan cannot ask other countries to support it while sitting idly.
“We have to be very realistic about the threat we have been receiving from the other side of the Taiwan Strait, especially the military threat,” he said. “And if we want some other countries to give us some necessary support, we cannot sit idly and ask other countries to provide support to Taiwan.”
Asked yesterday about Esper’s comment, Hou said that he was against the Democratic Progressive Party’s “flexible study program.”
He was referring to the government’s “3+1” progam that would allow conscripts to finish college in three years and military service in one year, enabling them to graduate alongside those who do not have to serve.
Extending military service to one year is necessary, he said, adding that Taiwan would continue to improve its defense capabilities.
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