Troop restructuring plan still in pipeline: MND
ROC Central News Agency
Taipei, Jan.19 (CNA) The military is still working on a troop restructuring plan that will be drawn up based on the principles of integrating its service branches for combat missions and maintaining its overall combat capabilities, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said in a statement Monday.
The ministry issued the statement after the China Times, a Taipei-based Chinese-language newspaper, reported that day that the military will proceed with a plan to slash the number of troops to facilitate its all-volunteer service program.
According to the report, the military will cut the country's current 275,000 troops over the next four years, but has yet to decide on the level of cuts. The paper speculated that the final target would be 180,000 troops.
In response, the MND statement said troop reduction is part of the military's restructuring plan because of the new style of warfare in the 21st century and taking into consideration of relations across the Taiwan Strait and other external factors.
The statement stressed, however, that the military's plan to restructure its forces would not undermine its combat readiness and combat effectiveness.
(By Sofia Wu)
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