Taiwan to boost reserve forces training amid growing tensions with China
Nov 02, 2021
Taipei [Taiwan], November 2 : Taiwan on Tuesday said it will boost the training of reserve forces by 2022 amid growing tensions with China.
This comes as China has escalated its military activities near the island in recent times.
Taiwan's defence ministry noted that from 2022, the duration of mandatory refresher training for some reserve forces under the new program will be increased to 14 days from the current five to seven days in order to strengthen the defence capability of the reserve forces, Sputnik reported.
The first week of the refresher training under the new program will be devoted to shooting training, while the total number of hours of shooting and the standards for the number of used cartridges will be elevated.
The second week will be devoted to training actions in various combat situations, as well as mastering command skills and the ability of troops to follow orders.
In early October, Taiwanese Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng said that Beijing might consider mounting a full-scale invasion of the island by 2025.
Taiwan has been witnessing an increase in incursions as Beijing claims full sovereignty over the democratic island.
Taiwan is a democracy of almost 24 million people located off the southeastern coast of mainland China, despite the fact that the two sides have been governed separately for more than seven decades.
Taipei, on the other hand, has countered the Chinese aggression by increasing strategic ties with democracies including the US, which has been repeatedly opposed by Beijing.
China has also threatened that "Taiwan's independence" means war. On June 1, Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to complete reunification with self-ruled Taiwan and vowed to smash any attempts at formal independence for the island.
