• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Troop reduction number undecided: defense minister

ROC Central News Agency

08/09/22 17:29:43

By Deborah Kuo

Taipei, Sept. 22 (CNA) Minister of National Defense Chen Chao-min said Monday that the military is planning to cut the number of troops by roughly 70,000, although the exact number will be determined only after further calculations have been carried out.

Fielding questions at the Legislative Yuan's Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, Chen said the troop reduction plan is still in the pipeline.

Meanwhile, on the legislators' concern whether the Ministry of National Defense is planning to cut 70,000 soldiers in the next four years in line with President Ma Ying-jeou's campaign promise to establish an all-volunteer military, Chen said the MND will promote the development of the all-volunteer service system.

However, he added, "I have not made a report to the president yet, since the plan is not yet mature."

Pointing out that shifting to an all-volunteer service system will have a major impact on whether or not the country's military reforms will succeed, Chen said any change in the structure of the armed forces must be based on the needs of actual warfare so that a new "lean and mean" armed forces can be prepared in terms of combat and self-defense.

"None of the new plans will make any sense if they leave the troops unable to defend the nation," he said.