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Lawrence Chung

In a rare move, Taiwan’s military is using a Taipei university campus to train reservists to prepare for the possibility of urban warfare against the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), prompting concerns and criticism.
Taiwan’s defence minister, however, defended the decision, emphasising the need to consider frontline conditions to deter PLA attacks.
National Chengchi University (NCCU) in Taipei announced last week that it would provide part of its campus to train 100 reservists from November 23 to 29.
The notice drew attention as it marks the first time the university – one of Taiwan’s best – has cooperated with the military for such purposes.
While universities elsewhere on the island have been used for military training, it has typically happened during holiday breaks while students are away from campus.
It is also the first time a university in Taipei has hosted military training. The NCCU training is meant to prepare for urban warfare, whereas the focus of past training has been on preventing the PLA from reaching cities.
Public concerns were further fuelled by reports that firearms, including rifles, machine guns, and mortars had been moved onto campus, prompting fears that the university could temporarily become an ammunition depot and a target for PLA strikes in the event of conflict.
The move has prompted sharp criticism from opposition lawmakers, who accused the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) government of turning a blind eye to campus safety by allowing the military to request NCCU as a reservist training ground.
Lai Shyh-bao, a legislator from the island’s main opposition party, the Kuomintang (KMT), expressed his strong opposition during a legislative session with Taiwanese Education Minister Cheng Ying-yao.
“Why is NCCU being used for reservist training? What happened to the long-standing principle that political parties, government, and military units must stay off campuses?” Lai asked.
“Now, an ammunition depot is being placed at the university. If this becomes normalised, it would turn NCCU into a target for enemy attacks.”

KMT legislator Hung Meng-kai questioned whether the island’s defence ministry had consulted the Education Ministry beforehand. Cheng responded: “I did not receive any notification from the defence ministry.”
He added that NCCU, as an autonomous institution, had the right to decide whether to accept the military’s request. Cheng expressed conditional support for the move, saying, “If there is a strategic consideration behind it, I support it.”
Taiwanese Defence Minister Wellington Koo Li-hsiung reiterated on Monday that all reservist training would be conducted “based on combat readiness requirements, taking into account frontline operational conditions”.
Defence ministry spokesman Sun Li-fang added that training locations were chosen based on operational needs.
“Reservist training is aligned with defensive combat requirements, taking into account factors like the responsibility zone’s battle terrain and urban defence topography,” Sun said.
Beijing views Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the United States, do not recognise the self-ruled island as independent, but Washington opposes any attempt to take the island by force and is committed to supplying arms to Taiwan.
Retired Major General Li Cheng-chieh highlighted NCCU’s strategic importance, noting its location in the southern part of Taipei, which could “serve as a critical defence point to block PLA troops from accessing the capital city”.
However, he cautioned that “using NCCU for reservist training could make the campus a target if urban warfare begins”.
Lin Yu-fang, a security expert with the KMT-affiliated National Policy Foundation think tank, strongly criticised the decision, arguing that it disrupted campus life and academic activities.
“Reservist training should take place on military bases for better effectiveness and operational flow. It is hard to believe the military cannot find a suitable base for this purpose,” he said.
Lin also reminded the DPP government of the recent public backlash over a proposal to involve high school students in non-combat wartime service. The island’s Education Ministry withdrew the plan last month after widespread criticism from parents.


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Critics say it disrupts academic life and could make National Chengchi University a PLA target if ammunition is regularly stored on campus


Critics say it disrupts academic life and could make National Chengchi University a PLA target if ammunition is regularly stored on campus.
