Taiwan to slash armed forces by up to 20 percent

Taiwan has said it plans to slash its armed forces by up to 20 per cent from 215,000 over the next five years, in the latest sign of warming ties with former rival China.

Defence Minister Yen Ming said the military would be cut to 170,000-190,000, but that defence capabilities would not be compromised in the project to build "smaller but leaner and more professional armed forces".

"The planned manpower adjustment will be carried out in stages contingent upon the government's budgets, the acquisition of new weapons and demographic changes," he told reporters late Monday.

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