China revises conscription law, eyeing Taiwan conflict

BEIJING -- China on Monday enacted revisions to its military service law that will allow retired military personnel to be reenlisted to secure experienced soldiers. The law also focuses on recruiting tech-savvy science and engineering students to prepare for warfare in new domains such as space and cyber, as the country tries to build its military strength to prepare for possible all-out war in the Taiwan Strait.

The State Council and the Central Military Commission, the Chinese military's top decision-making body, approved the revised regulations on conscription, based on the Military Service Law. "We will build a military draft system that can respond, from peacetime to emergencies, swiftly and seamlessly," Tan Kefei, a spokesman at the Chinese defense ministry, said.