Premier Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) yesterday expressed reservations after a group of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) legislators proposed relaxing restrictions on draft-age men pursuit of education in China.
During an interpellation session on the legislative floor, Wu said the government needs to consider national security and the nation’s compulsory military -service system.
“Our relations with China are different from our relations with the rest of the world. That is why we have special regulations in the Act Governing the Relations Between the Peoples of the Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area (台灣地區與大陸地區人民關係條例),” Wu said. “We have a lot of things to consider and the military service system is one of them.”
The legislature’s Procedure Committee on Tuesday referred an amendment to the Military Service Act (兵役法) proposed by KMT Legislator Hung Hsiu-chu (洪秀柱) and others to the plenary session, during which time the legislature would determine whether to put the bill to committee review.
If the bill clears the legislative floor, it would allow any young graduates who could be drafted into the military to study in Chinese schools that are recognized by the Ministry of Education.
By law, Taiwanese men are required to enter the military as soon as they reach 19 years of age. They may postpone their service if they have not completed their studies by the time they turn 19, or they may choose to study abroad before reaching that age. Those who have enrolled in undergraduate programs or graduate schools abroad before turning 19 can apply at the National Immigration Agency for permits to leave Taiwan again after returning to the nation for a short-term break — a maximum of two months.
Young men who have reached 19, but have not completed their service can apply to travel abroad, but could be charged with violation of the Military Service Act if they stayed abroad for more than two months without good reason. The aforementioned regulations also apply to draft-age men who would like to study in China.
However, the Military Service Act also imposes other restrictions on which draft-age men are qualified to pursue education in China. The law stipulates that only sons of Taiwanese businesspeople allowed to invest in China or sons of their -employees who have lived with their parents in China for three years before turning 19 can pursue education in China without having to return to Taiwan to complete the service as soon as they turn 19.
Hung said in the proposal that the restrictions had caused inconvenience to parents and students and should be abolished.
The bill has prompted concerns from Democratic Progressive Party lawmakers, who said the bill would make it very easy for more young draft-age men to avoid military service by going to China for study.
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