00:00Here in Taipei, Taiwan's Defense Minister Wellington Koo is answering questions from
00:05lawmakers about the Armed Forces' latest personnel figures. Before the meeting, Koo struck an
00:10optimistic tone on the Armed Forces' recruitment and retention efforts, despite some difficulties.
00:16For the first time in more than a decade, Taiwan's military is no longer downsizing.
00:21The Armed Forces now have 10,000 more personnel than in 2021,
00:26bringing the total to nearly 230,000 according to local media reports.
00:30With a population of 23.5 million, that's roughly one service member for every 100 people.
00:35Compared to two years ago, there are 3,000 more active duty troops,
00:39but with new budgets and projects, there are around 10,000 additional positions to be filled.
00:46This year, enlistees have already exceeded the ministry's recruitment target,
00:50with more potentially on the way.
00:55As Taiwan's birth rate continues to decline, the Defense Ministry must balance reality
01:17with its ambitions to effectively defend the country from China,
01:20which claims Taiwan and says it will take the country by force if necessary.
01:26That means to meet its goals, Taiwan will need to step up recruitment
01:29and offer more benefits to those already in service.
01:32This year, Taiwan President Lai Qingde moved to increase the defense budget,
01:38and the government extended conscription from four months to one year.
01:56Much of the focus on President Lai's defense policy has been on the bigger budget and more modern equipment,
02:02either made in Taiwan or bought from the U.S.
02:05But in the end, personnel form the backbone of these plans,
02:08and the government wants to ensure it can fill its ranks.
02:11John Tsu and Larry Siano in Taipei for Taiwan Plus.
02:14John Tsu and Larry Siano in Taipei for Taiwan
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