Key facts
- Taiwan's military has reinstated 'anti-communist' patriotic classes for graduates after a 25-year gap.
- The classes aim to educate graduates on national security threats and military missions.
- Taiwan is observing an increase in Chinese naval and maritime force mobilization.
- Taiwan reported tracking over 110 Chinese military and Coast Guard ships.
- China and Russia are planning joint naval exercises in the waters off Qingdao.
Taiwan's military has reinstated "anti-communist" patriotic classes for its graduates, marking the first time in a quarter-century that such education has been formally resumed. The defense ministry stated the decision was driven by an increasing threat from China, which views Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force.
The classes, which were a common feature during the Cold War but formally ended in 2002, aim to ensure graduates clearly understand national security threats and their military mission. Officials from departments including the Mainland Affairs Council, National Security Council, Ministry of Justice, and Academia Sinica will deliver lectures to establish a clear awareness of "friend and foe" among the graduates.
This move comes as China's military activity around Taiwan intensifies. Taiwan National Security Bureau Director-General Tsai Ming-yen noted an "upward trend" in Chinese naval and maritime force mobilization during the peak exercise season, including joint drills with Russia. Joseph Wu, secretary-general of Taiwan's National Security Council, reported that Taiwan was tracking a record number of over 110 Chinese military and Coast Guard ships operating along the first island chain. China's Coast Guard also initiated a new patrol off Taiwan's east coast, an action that Taipei rejected, asserting Beijing has no jurisdiction in those waters.