Anticipating Tensions With China, Taiwan Increases Combat Training And Shooting Of Reserve Troops

Illustration of Taiwan special forces training. (Wikimedia Commons/)

JAKARTA - Taiwan's Ministry of Defense announced it will increase the training of its reservists, including increasing combat and firing rehearsals, as tensions with China escalate.

Not only that, China has also increased its military activities near Taiwan territory in recent times, putting Taiwan on alert.

Tensions between Taiwan and China, which claims the island democracy as sovereign territory, have escalated in recent weeks as Beijing ramps up military pressure, including repeated flight missions in Taiwan's air defense identification zone (ADIZ) by Chinese warplanes.

Taiwan's Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng last month described the situation as "the most serious" in more than 40 years, urging additional military spending on homemade weapons.

Starting next year, Taiwan is increasing its reserve force exercises, including mandatory refreshes which will be increased to 14 days from the current five to seven days.

"(The goal) is to effectively increase the combat capability of the reserve forces," the Defense Ministry said in a statement, citing Reuters on November 2.

"Reservists will be asked to double the number of rounds they fire during firing drills. Meanwhile, combat training will be extended to 56 hours from the original 12 hours or half a day," the statement added.

Later, the new program will be applied to about 13 percent of the 110.000 reserves the ministry plans to train next year, before a further decision can be made whether to expand it.

To note, Taiwan has gradually transitioned from a conscripted army to a professional army dominated by volunteers. However, Reuters reported last year the switch was troublesome and had led to the liquidation of some 2.31 million reserve forces.

With China calling Taiwan to be taken by force, if necessary. Taiwan insists it is an independent country, will defend its freedoms and democracy, blaming China for the tensions.