Taiwan tightened its military service exemption rules, with revised physical standards taking effect last week that are expected to cut the draft exemption rate from 16% to 8% and add thousands of conscripts each year. Men will generally be exempt on weight grounds only if their body mass index exceeds 45, and the height threshold for exemption was lowered to 144cm.
Taiwan's exemption rate is expected to fall from 16% to 8%, adding thousands of conscripts a year to an armed force the government says faces persistent manpower shortages.
Taiwan is tightening its military service exemption rules in an overhaul expected to halve the exemption rate and add thousands of conscripts to the armed forces each year, as the island works to address persistent manpower shortages.
Under the revised standards, which took effect last week, men will generally be exempt on weight grounds only if their body mass index exceeds 45, while the height threshold for exemption has been lowered to 144cm. The rules also cover hypertension and other conditions.
Revised medical criteria are expected to reduce Taiwan's military draft exemption rate from 16% to 8%, according to ICRT. For Grade B alternative service recruits, who would have been exempt from service under previous regulations, youth groups are calling for improved living conditions, health tracking armbands and lighter physical duties. The youth leaders pledged to collaborate with lawmakers to monitor training safety, service conditions and civil defense curriculum reforms.
Pick the topics you care about. Get only what matters, on your cadence.