The Chinese Communists have drilled into the head of their population that Taiwan is always and forever theirs, and no price is too great to pay.
I’ve always thought the best policy for Taiwan to follow would be that of the Swiss. Send every recruit home with his battle rifle. Bring them back once per year for updating and training.
Having 5 million armed civilians to subdue would give even the most bloody-minded Communist pause
Taiwanese would never accept that for their society though. They are very soft and they admire the statist, socialist societies of places like Sweden.
From Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conscription_in_Taiwan
The Republic of China (Taiwan) has maintained a policy of conscription for all qualified males of military age since 1949. The Taiwanese government used to plan to end it in 2014, but abolishing conscription is quite controversial among Taiwanese society, hence the government has not yet confirmed the abolishing schedule.
Females from the outlying islands within the province of Fuchien, which are geographically closest to mainland China, were also required to serve in a civil defense role, although this requirement has been dropped since the lifting of martial law. Although the majority of all enlisted positions in the ROC Armed Forces have been and are currently filled by draftees, the government intends to gradually expand the number of volunteer soldiers with the eventual goal of forming an all volunteer military. However, even then there will be compulsory basic training for all males reaching 18.
Recent years have also seen an increase in the service options open to draftees, including alternative service with the Ministry of the Interior (MOI), as well as specialized service options for draftees in specific professions. The draft process is set forth under the ROC Military Service Act under the auspices of the MOI’s National Conscription Agency as well as by Article 20 of the ROC Constitution