Defense News

Time: 1800 hours, May 11, 2025

       The Ministry of National Defense (MND) stated today (May 11) that, starting at 1448 hours, a total of 30 People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft—including J-16 fighter jets, KJ-500 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft, various combat and support aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)—were successively detected conducting operations around Taiwan. Of these, 17 aircraft crossed the median line of the Taiwan Strait and its extension, entering the northern, central, and southwestern airspace, in coordination with PLA naval vessels, as part of a joint combat readiness patrol.

    The Republic of China (ROC) Armed Forces closely monitored the situation using integrated intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems, and responded appropriately by dispatching mission aircraft and naval vessels, and deploying shore-based missile systems.

Time: 1140 hours, May 7, 2025

Regarding media reports on "a graduating student disqualified from military academy application due to not meeting the 20-year residency requirement," the Ministry of National Defense (MND) hereby provides the following clarification:

Youths applying for various recruitment programs of the Republic of China (ROC) Armed Forces must undergo a review process by the Selection Committee, encompassing verification of household registration in Taiwan and security investigation. Only those who pass this review are then eligible to register.

The military academy admission prospectus clearly stipulates that applicants must possess ROC nationality and not hold foreign nationality, and must have household registration in the Taiwan area. According to Article 19 of the "Regulations Governing Student and Graduate Status in Military Schools," individuals from the mainland area who have been permitted to enter the Taiwan area must have maintained household registration for a minimum of twenty years to be eligible to apply for admission.

As interpreted by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) in its official correspondence, Article 5, Paragraph 1 of the Enforcement Rules of the Act Governing Relations between the People of Taiwan Area and Mainland Area stipulates that individuals born in mainland China, whose original status was that of a people from mainland China, only convert to the status of people from Taiwan after establishing household registration in Taiwan.

According to a response from the National Immigration Agency (NIA) dated April 17, 2025, the candidate in question was born in Nanjing City (mother is a mainland China citizen). When applying for household registration in 2009, the candidate simultaneously declared the renunciation of mainland China citizenship and was granted permission for residency in Taiwan. Therefore, the candidate does not meet the "20-year residency requirement." The candidate may still apply for relevant ROC Armed Forces programs and pursue their military aspirations in the future, upon meeting the requirements.