Taiwan is planning to cut the number of soldiers stationed on three island groups near China to improve relations between the two rival countries, according to a report.

Top military officials said that the number of troops could be reduced to fewer than 10,000 on the Kinmen, Matsu and Penghu islands.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Go deeper with GlobalData

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

The downsizing would compensate for the shortage of ground forces defending the main Taiwanese Island.

Taiwan’s defence ministry announced in March that it would reduce its armed forces by more than a fifth (to 215,000) by 2014 and scrap compulsory military service in five years.

Relations between Taiwan and China have improved considerably since President Ma Ying-jeou of the KMT took office in May 2008.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

Army Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Army Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact across the defence sector.

Excellence in Action
SignalGeneriX has won the Autonomous Technology Innovation Award for its LOTUS AI Mission Computer -a compact, rugged edge AI platform delivering up to 100 TOPS for ISR, EW, robotics and autonomous systems. Discover how LOTUS is redefining real-time decision-making and autonomy across demanding defence missions.

Discover the Impact