The armed forces of the
Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan are in dire need of reform to address a
plethora of problems including inadequate training, low morale, poor public
perception, and low recruitment numbers. This book uses the postmodern military model to measure how public
perception of the military is influenced by self-identification in Taiwan, and
it shows that the public has little confidence or trust in their military, even
as they remain acutely aware of the threat posed by an increasingly belligerent
China and its ever-growing People's Liberation Army.

While there has been much
analysis as to what strategies and weapons systems should be adopted by ROC
defense planners, relatively little has been written on how to create a more
relevant military within Taiwan society. Ultimately, this book addresses these
matters and provides policymakers within the ROC government and military, as
well as researchers of Asia Pacific security, with an understanding of the
current relationship between military and society, to assist in the creation of
a more accountable military.