Taiwan Should Hire Ukrainian Fighters In Case Of China Invasion, To Ease Labor Shortage: Economist

An economist suggested that Taiwan hire Ukrainians to address military personnel and labor shortages.

Lin Chung-cheng, a research fellow at the Institute of Economics, said that welcoming 30,000 to 50,000 Ukrainians could help resolve the manpower issues on the self-ruled island.

Lin said the Taiwanese government should consider hiring Ukrainian fighters familiar with Russian and U.S.-made weapons, which could be helpful to the island to counter a possible Chinese attack.

"Their knowledge on the battlefield and of national defense, either in the form of physical or cognitive warfare, would be a great asset to Taiwan's military departments," Lin said, Taiwan News reported.

The economist also urged Taiwanese officials to relax its employment rules to allow Ukrainians to work in the island's manufacturing, tourism, healthcare and construction industries.

By doing so, Ukrainian workers in Taiwan could help revitalize their homeland's economy by sending $900 million worth of remittances, the economist argued.

Lin noted that Taiwan's wage levels, living costs and affordable healthcare could entice Ukrainian workers to work on the island.

Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago, Taiwan allowed Ukrainians with Taiwanese relatives and those with a Ukrainian Alien Resident Certificate (ARC) to apply for a special entry permit.

The self-governing island has also launched a program granting visas for Ukrainians to stay in Taiwan between 30 days and six months, according to Taipei Times.

These policies allowed Ukrainians to file for special visas in Taiwan's representative offices in several European countries.

Academia Sinica, Taiwan's national academy, has also offered scholarships for Ukrainian students and researchers to study on the island.

In April 2022, Taiwan reported more than 200 Ukrainians residing on the island.

Taiwan has also provided humanitarian assistance to war-torn Ukraine, including shipping tons of medical supplies and setting up donation drives to help Ukrainians needing assistance.

In January, Taiwan signed a memorandum of understanding with some Ukrainian officials and organizations to help Ukrainian cities amidst the energy crisis brought on by Russian attacks.

According to the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the island would provide $2 million to Kharkiv, Mykolaiv and Kherson to help them procure power generation equipment.

Taiwan has condemned the Russian war in Ukraine since it began. The self-ruled island accused Russia of violating the U.N. charter and jeopardizing the peace and stability in Europe.

Taiwan has also imposed sanctions on Russia and its ally, Belarus, because of the war. The sanctions aimed to prevent the two countries from receiving Taiwan-made computer and information communications products, aircraft parts, machines and chemicals.