The announcement came after China carried out one of its biggest incursions to date in the seas and skies around Taiwan on Sunday, with fighter jets and warships deployed around the island.

在做此宣布之前，中國於週日對台灣周圍海、空域進行了迄今為止最大的一次入侵，在該島周圍部署了戰鬥機和軍艦。

The Taiwanese leader said it was needed to counter the growing military pressure Beijing is exerting on Taiwan, which it regards as an integral part of China.

臺灣領導人表示，需要這樣做才能對抗北京日益增長的軍事壓力，而它視台灣為中國的一個重要部分。

The current four-month military training service system cannot provide sufficient troops or frequency of training

目前為期四個月的軍事訓練服務系統不能提供足夠的部隊或訓練頻率

to cope with the rapidly changing combat situation and satisfy the need for combat readiness.

以應付快速變化的戰鬥形勢並滿足戰鬥準備的需要。

After two years of complete assessment and review considering the demand for troops in the new strategic structure,

在經過兩年完整的評估跟檢討，考量在新的戰略架構下的兵力需求，

we have decided to restore the one-year compulsory military service from 2024, applicable to male draftees born after January the 1st, 2005.

我們決定從2024年起，恢復一年期的義務役，適用對象是 2005 年 1 月 1 日以後出生的役男。

For more on this, we're joined now by Ben Blanchard, who is Taiwan Bureau Chief for Reuters; he joins us from Oxford, here in the UK.

今天跟我們進一步討論此議題的是路透社台灣新聞部主任 Ben Blanchard（白賓），他現在位在英國的牛津。

Ben, thank you for your time today.

Ben，謝謝你今天撥冗。

Give us the reaction, first of all, to news of this extended military service.

首先，請我們說說民眾對於這次延長兵役消息的反應。

Well, it's been something that the President has been discussing with her top security officials for quite a while now, so it wasn't exactly a surprise.

嗯，這是總統與她高階安全官員討論相當長一段時間的事情，所以這並不完全令人意外。

We knew that it was gonna come before the end of the year.

我們都知道它將在今年年底前發生。

This is something that really has bipartisan support in Taiwan.

這件事在台灣獲得了兩黨一致支持。

Both the ruling party and the main opposition party have⏤

執政黨和主要反對黨都——

do understand the need to stress Taiwan's defenses, especially in the face of China's stepped-up military activities and what Taiwan calls a, you know, real⏤

雙方都明白需要加強台灣的防禦，特別是面對中國強化軍事活動和臺灣所謂真正——

a clear and present danger that⏤threat from China to the democracy that is Taiwan.

一個明確且現實的危險，即來自中國對台灣這個民主國家的威脅。

So, bipartisan support; does it have widespread public support as well?

那麼除了兩黨支持，它是否也獲得廣泛的民眾支持？

Well, again, this is not⏤this is...

嗯，我重申，這不是——這是⋯⋯

Military conscription (in) Taiwan is something that has happened ever since 1949, since the defeated Republic of China government fled to Taiwan.

台灣徵兵制是自 1949 年戰敗的中華民國政府逃到台灣後就開始發生的事情。

So, this is something that the vast majority of Taiwanese men have grown up with; it's not a new system.

所以說，這是台灣絕大多數男性成長過程的一部分，它不是新的體系。

And the point I would make that, in going back to one year, this⏤different from South Korea, for example.

針對恢復到一年兵役，我要指出一點——舉例而言，這與南韓不同。

So, South Korea obviously faces its own hostile neighbor in the form of North Korea, and South Korea, though, it's an 18-month conscription system.

南韓很顯然地面臨著自身的敵對鄰居，即北韓，不過韓國是執行 18 個月的徵兵制度。

So, going from four months back to one year⏤it's not as severe as South Korea.

所以說，從四個月恢復為一年，沒有比南韓嚴重。

And, as I say, this is something that the, you know, the threat from China is something that everybody is very, very well aware of in Taiwan.

正如我所說的，這是一件——來自中國的威脅是台灣每個人都非常、非常清楚的事情。

And there is definitely a wide social consensus that Taiwan does need to strengthen its defenses.

而且肯定有一個廣泛的社會共識，即台灣確實需要加強其防禦。

And, of course, we saw China's presence very much on Monday, didn't we?

當然了，我們週一很明顯地感受到了中國的存在，對吧？

President Tsai was talking about Taiwan being on the front line of authoritarian expansion.

蔡總統表示台灣處於威權擴張的前線。

So, Taiwan is really feeling that pressure, isn't it?

所以說，台灣確實地感受到了壓力，對嗎？

Yeah, so, certainly, for the last two years or so, China has been carrying out almost daily incursions into Taiwan's ad⏤

是的，很肯定地，中國在過去兩年左右幾乎每天都在入侵臺灣的 AD——

ADIZ, as they call it⏤the air defense identification zone around Taiwan.

他們所謂的 ADIZ，也就是台灣周圍的防空識別區。

So, obviously, this really stepped up in early August when china carried out war games near Taiwan.

所以很明顯地，當中國 8 月初時在台灣附近進行戰爭遊戲時，這種情況強化了。

So, this was just after the then-US house speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan.

這發生在時任美國眾議院議長 Nancy Pelosi（南希・佩洛西）訪台後不久。

So, that was... that was very, very traumatic.

那是非常、非常令人恐懼的。

That was, you know, they were firing missiles over Taipei; there were warships that came very, very close to the Taiwanese coast.

那是⋯⋯他們在台北上空發射飛彈、有軍艦非常、非常接近台灣海岸。

So, since then, the military activities have continued, so, Taiwan is well accustomed to this.

所以從那時起，軍事活動一直在繼續，所以台灣也習以為常。

But, certainly, Taiwan's military has strained, especially the air force, which has to scramble almost on a daily basis to go and see often and warn away these Chinese warplanes.

但肯定的是，台灣的軍隊已感到緊張，尤其是空軍，幾乎每天都要爭分奪秒地去看，並經常警告這些中國戰機遠離。

So, it's something that you... I mean, on the ground in Taiwan, there's no sense of panic.

嗯，所以這是你——我是說，在台灣百姓間，沒有恐慌的感覺。

You know, you have to remember, Taiwan has lived with the threat of Chinese invasion ever since 1949.

但你必須記得，台灣自 1949 年以來一直生活在中國入侵的威脅中。

That's not something that's gone away.

這不是已經消失的事情。

And, of course, China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.

當然，中國也從未放棄使用武力將臺灣置於其控制之下。

And this is something that President Xi, Jin-ping when he talks about Taiwan, you know⏤

這也是習近平主席在談到台灣時會說的——

- He⏤he mentions this. - OK.

- 他——他會提到這點。 - 好的。

Ok, Ben, thank you very much for your analysis.

好的，Ben，非常感謝你的分析。

Ben Blanchard, Taiwan Bureau Chief for Reuters.

路透社台灣新聞部主任 Ben Blanchard（白賓）。