Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense on Thursday expressed optimism over its plan to shift to an all-volunteer force by 2017, after it decided recently to push back the target date for ending conscription.
During a press event, Defense Minister Kao Kuang-chi said that the military will continue its plan to push for a volunteer-military system.
Citing statistics, he said the military recruited about 15,000 volunteer soldiers last year, more than its original target.
So far this year, it has recruited more than 10,000, he said, adding that he believes the final recruitment number for the year would exceed the target originally set.
Kao's remarks came two days after the Defense Ministry unexpectedly announced that it would continue to draft eligible citizens born before the end of 1993, enlisting another 23,100 soldiers, with the approval of the Cabinet.
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