Taiwan hopes to give its ‘strawberry soldiers’ real bite after critics warn reserve can’t fight PLA

The island’s defence ministry is planning to overhaul the training conscripts that reservists are given amid growing tensions with the Chinese mainland

Critics have said their current training is inadequate, leaving a reserve force that, like the fruit, can be easily squashed

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Many Taiwanese reservists lack proper combat training and some analysts say they will not be able to support regular troops on the battlefield. Photo: Reuters

Published: 6:00pm, 14 Nov 2021Updated: 10:14pm, 14 Nov 2021

Taiwan is to overhaul the training for its military reservists as it attempts to improve a training system that has faced widespread criticism for producing “strawberry soldiers” who are fragile and easily crushed.

The move comes amid growing tension with mainland China, but analysts expressed scepticism about whether it would prove effective, citing a host of problems including limited training time, a shortage of instructors and inadequate facilities.

Both the US Congress and Pentagon have suggested that Taiwan increase its defence budget to buy more arms and strengthen its reserve force, which the Americans do not believe will be able to put up an effective fight against the People’s Liberation Army.

“I don’t think I will be OK if I have to go to war,” said Peter Liao who completed his mandatory four months of military service in July and then joined the 2.2 million-strong reserve.

The 22-year-old said he did not think he had learned enough to survive a war.

Liao said new conscripts underwent five weeks of basic training at a cadet centre before being assigned to a military base for 11 weeks of further training.

He said the basic training was carried out in a rush and conscripts were not given time to understand the things they were being taught.