TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The Ministry of National Defense (MND) recently revealed that around 700 conscripts will be dispatched to Taiwan's offshore islands next year.
This means that one in every 13 conscripts will serve on these islands following the resumption of Taiwan's one-year military conscription.
The ministry said the dispatch would be predominantly based on the conscripts' expertise, household registration, and preferences.
Military budget data provided by the MND's Comptroller Bureau shows that around 700 of the estimated 9,100 conscripts for next year have already been allocated to the islands.
The military plans to integrate obligatory and voluntary conscripts among the 700 to address the issue of low troop numbers on the islands.
The National Policy Foundation's researcher, Chieh Chung, highlighted that the living conditions on the offshore islands are harsh and stressful, presenting significant management risk.
Meanwhile, the defense ministry, responding to rising tensions between the Taiwan Strait, has adjusted its budget to compensate.
In addition to re-establishing the one-year mandatory military service, the new army investment plan included a budget of NT＄8.74 billion, with NT＄980 million earmarked for the Medical Affairs Bureau.
This expenditure, though only 11% of the overall budget, is crucial for purchasing portable X-ray machines, C-arm machines for surgery imaging, and -40°C blood bank freezers, among other 221 equipment items to deal with mass casualties.