On Aug. 3, the Washington Post reported that Taiwan’s military is facing a recruitment shortage, which has halted plans for soldiers to begin new training in operating drones, Kestrel anti-armor rockets and surface-to-air Stinger missiles.
Curiously, despite having an insufficient number of soldiers to begin this training, Taiwan has the world’s largest number of honor guards performing seemingly meaningless tasks. For example, the daily ceremonies honoring deceased Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) leaders and a changing of the guards honoring former president Chiang Kai-shek (蔣中正) at the National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine in Taipei.
Other democratic countries and even communist countries do not have such practices.
In the US, Arlington National Cemetery is the only place with a dedicated honor guard, and even there, only one soldier stands guard.
Unlike in Taiwan, US honor guards do not stand on wooden platforms. Why do the honor guards at the National Revolutionary Martyrs’ Shrine need to stand on these platforms? Is that not dangerous? Additionally, while on duty, these guards are escorted by two plainclothes officers. This is surely a significant waste of resources.
Former White House deputy national security adviser Matthew Pottinger said that the last thing Taiwan wants is for Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) and the US to doubt Taiwan’s commitment to its own defense.
Pottinger said that Taiwan must have the political will and foresight to recruit and train top military officers. “I’m really hoping that Taiwan makes these sacrifices,” he said.
The honor guards, supposedly the nation’s most elite officers, should be assigned to train new recruits. How does standing guard for long-deceased leaders every day enhance national defense? Is there another country with as many honor guards as Taiwan?
Israel’s total population is only one-third of Taiwan’s, but its military size is comparable. Israel has a compulsory service system with benefits similar to ours. In Israel, only those who have completed military service can attend university or start a business, yet Israelis take great pride in their military duties and many even return from abroad to serve. Why can Taiwan not achieve the same level of commitment and pride?
The nation is wasting significant military resources on ceremonies for deceased leaders, while the military continues to venerate Chiang. National, school and military anthems all carry KMT authoritarian ideology, reflecting a military that has yet to become truly nationalized. Under these conditions, how can Taiwanese take pride in military service? It is no wonder that many soldiers who study abroad in the US choose to retire early.
To encourage more young people to embrace military service, the nation should follow Israel’s example by creating a sense of shared responsibility and national identity to defend the nation. The military needs to move away from venerating Chiang and be more representative of the entire nation. Additionally, the nation’s anthems should be free of any authoritarian elements.
Teng Hon-yuan is a university professor.
Translated by Nicole Wang
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