WSJ: Taiwan’s military is riven with internal problems.

The Wall Street Journal reported that “soldiers, strategists, and government officials in Taiwan and the US say the island’s military is riven with internal problems, many of which have built up over years of calm and economic prosperity and now are eating away at Taiwan’s ability to deter China.”

Poor preparation and low morale among the roughly 80,000 Taiwanese conscripted each year, as well as the nearly 2.2 million reservists, are among the most pressing concerns, the report added.

The report detailed that “a 2019 survey found that around half of Taiwanese would be willing to fight to defend the island, but polls also show most don’t expect they will ever have to”.

The US has not committed to defending Taiwan, but most military analysts believe it will, the Journal emphasized.

The Journal report discusses that some foreign policy experts want the US to explicitly commit to intervening if China attacks Taiwan, while others are concerned that even minor gestures by Washington could provoke Beijing and entrap the US in foreign trouble.

The US backs Taiwan chiefly by selling its weapons and other defense equipment, the report stressed.

What do you need to know?

China has recently urged the US to tread carefully on the topic of Taiwan after President Joe Biden told Beijing that Washington would defend the island against any "attacks" by China.

"China has no room for compromise on issues involving its core interests," Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said.

The spokesman warned Washington that it should "act and speak cautiously on the Taiwan issue."

Earlier, US president Joe Biden responded by saying, "Yes," when asked if the US would defend Taiwan if China were to attack.

Biden's statement clashes with the long-held US policy known as "strategic ambiguity," where Washington helps build Taiwan's defenses without explicitly promising to come to the island's help.

Biden claimed the US had made a "sacred commitment" to defend NATO allies in Canada and Europe. He also asserted that Washington would also defend Japan and South Korea.