TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) on Wednesday (Nov. 7) confirmed plans to announce a longer conscription period before the end of the month.

If the Ministry of National Defense presents the extension of compulsory military service by the end of the year, it can be introduced in 2024, but if it is delayed until after New Year’s Day, the implementation of the change will have to wait until 2025.

The general expectation was that the conscription period would be lengthened from four months to one year. Chiu told reporters at the Legislative Yuan Wednesday there was a consensus that defending the country was everyone’s responsibility, Radio Taiwan International (RTI) reported.

He repeated earlier denials that the Nov. 26 local elections had influenced the timing of the announcement. Extending the conscription period was a major project with complicated elements requiring a considerable time to study and plan, he said.

Chiu said the military had listened to a wide range of opinions from the public on how to improve training for the conscripts, resulting in a longer review process.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine and large-scale live-fire drills by China in August, the current four-month conscription period had been widely described as inadequate in preparing Taiwanese to resist an attack by the communist neighbor.