Minister of National Defense (Republic of China)

The Minister of National Defense (Chinese: 中華民國國防部部長; pinyin: Zhōnghuá mínguó guófáng bù bùzhǎng) is the minister responsible for the Ministry of National Defense. Most ministers were either active or retired military generals, with only four civilians having served as ministers in the post-martial law era.

Minister of National Defense
中華民國國防部部長 (Chinese)
Flag of the minister of national defense
Incumbent Wellington Koo since 20 May 2024
Ministry of National Defense
Type	Minister
Member of	Executive Yuan
Reports to	the Premier
Seat	Zhongshan, Taipei, Taiwan
Precursor	Minister of War Minister of the Navy
Formation	23 May 1946; 78 years ago (23 May 1946)
First holder	Bai Chongxi
Website	Official website

Ministers of National Defense

The following ministers have served:^[1]

No.	Portrait	Name (born–died)	Term of office			Defense branch before appointment	Party		Cabinet
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
1		Bai Chongxi (白崇禧) (1893–1966)	23 May 1946	2 June 1948	2 years, 10 days	Republic of China Army		Kuomintang	Soong [zh] Zhang [zh] Weng [zh]
2		He Yingqin (何應欽) (1890–1987)	3 June 1948	21 December 1948	201 days	Republic of China Army		Kuomintang	Weng [zh] Sun II [zh]
3		Xu Yongchang (徐永昌) (1885–1959)	22 December 1948	30 April 1949	129 days	Republic of China Army		Kuomintang	Sun II [zh] He [zh]
(2)		He Yingqin (何應欽) (1890–1987)	1 May 1949	11 June 1949	41 days	Republic of China Army		Kuomintang	He [zh] Yan [zh]
4		Yan Xishan (閻錫山) (1883–1960)	12 June 1949	31 January 1950	233 days	Republic of China Army		Kuomintang	Yan [zh]
5		Gu Zhutong (顧祝同) (1893–1987)	1 February 1950	31 March 1950	58 days	Republic of China Army		Kuomintang	Yan [zh] C. Chen I [zh]
6		Yu Ta-wei [zh] (俞大維) (1897–1993)	1 April 1950	28 February 1951	333 days	Republic of China Army		Independent	C. Chen I [zh]
7		Kuo Chi-chiao [zh] (郭寄嶠) (1902–1998)	1 March 1951	31 May 1954	3 years, 91 days	Republic of China Army		Kuomintang	C. Chen I [zh]
(6)		Yu Ta-wei [zh] (俞大維) (1897–1993)	1 June 1954	13 January 1965	10 years, 226 days	Republic of China Army		Independent	C. Chen I [zh] H. C. Yu [zh] C. Chen II [zh] Yen [zh]
9		Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) (1910–1988)	14 January 1965	30 June 1969	4 years, 167 days	Republic of China Army		Kuomintang	Yen [zh]
10		Huang Chieh (黃杰) (1902–1995)	1 July 1969	31 May 1972	2 years, 335 days	Republic of China Army		Kuomintang	Yen [zh] Chiang [zh]
11		Chen Ta-ching (陳大慶) (1904–1973)	1 June 1972	30 June 1973	1 year, 29 days	Republic of China Army		Kuomintang	Chiang [zh]
12		Kao Kuei-yuan [zh] (高魁元) (1907–2012)	1 July 1973	19 November 1981	8 years, 141 days	Republic of China Army		Kuomintang	Chiang [zh] Sun Y. [zh]
13		Song Chang-chih [zh] (宋長志) (1916–2002)	1 December 1981	30 June 1986	4 years, 211 days	Republic of China Navy		Kuomintang	Sun Y. [zh] Yu [zh]
14		Wang Daoyuan [zh] (汪道淵) (1913–2011)	1 July 1986	28 April 1987	301 days	Civilian		Kuomintang	Yu [zh]
15		Cheng Wei-yuan (鄭為元) (1913–1993)	29 April 1987	4 December 1989	2 years, 219 days	Republic of China Army		Kuomintang	Yu [zh] Lee [zh]
16		Hau Pei-tsun (郝柏村) (1919–2020)	5 December 1989	31 May 1991	1 year, 177 days	Republic of China Army		Kuomintang	Lee [zh]
17		Chen Li-an (陳履安) (born 1937)	1 June 1991	26 February 1993	1 year, 270 days	Civilian		Kuomintang	Hau [zh]
18		Sun Chen [zh] (孫震) (born 1934)	27 February 1993	15 December 1994	1 year, 291 days	Civilian		Kuomintang	Lien [zh]
19		Chiang Chung-ling (蔣仲苓) (1922–2015)	16 December 1994	31 January 1999	4 years, 46 days	Republic of China Army		Kuomintang	Lien [zh] Siew [zh]
20		Tang Fei (唐飛) (born 1932)	1 February 1999	19 May 2000	1 year, 108 days	Republic of China Air Force		Kuomintang	Siew [zh]
21		Wu Shih-wen (伍世文) (born 1934)	20 May 2000	31 January 2002	1 year, 256 days	Republic of China Navy		Kuomintang	T. Fei [zh] C. H. Chang I [zh]
22		Tang Yao-ming (湯曜明) (1938–2021)	1 February 2002	19 May 2004	2 years, 108 days	Republic of China Army		Kuomintang[a]	Yu [zh]
23		Lee Jye (李傑) (born 1940)	20 May 2004	19 May 2007	2 years, 108 days	Republic of China Navy		Independent[b]	Yu [zh] Hsieh [zh] Su I
24		Lee Tien-yu (李天羽) (1946–2024)	20 May 2007	24 February 2008	280 days	Republic of China Air Force		Kuomintang	Su I C. H. Chang II [zh]
25		Michael Tsai (蔡明憲) (born 1941)	25 February 2008	19 May 2008	84 days	Civilian		Democratic Progressive Party	C. H. Chang II [zh]
26		Chen Chao-min (陳肇敏) (born 1940)	20 May 2008	9 September 2009	1 year, 112 days	Republic of China Air Force		Kuomintang	Liu [zh]
27		Kao Hua-chu (高華柱) (born 1946)	10 September 2009	31 July 2013	3 years, 324 days	Republic of China Army		Kuomintang	Wu [zh] S. Chen [zh] Jiang [zh]
28		Andrew Yang (楊念祖) (born 1946)	1 August 2013	7 August 2013	6 days	Civilian		Kuomintang	Jiang [zh]
29		Yen Ming (嚴明) (born 1949)	8 August 2013	30 January 2015	1 year, 175 days	Republic of China Air Force		Kuomintang	Jiang [zh] Mao [zh]
30		Kao Kuang-chi (高廣圻) (born 1950)	31 January 2015	19 May 2016	1 year, 109 days	Republic of China Navy		Kuomintang	Mao [zh] S. Chang
31		Feng Shih-kuan (馮世寬) (born 1945)	20 May 2016	26 February 2018	1 year, 282 days	Republic of China Air Force		Independent	Lin Lai
32		Yen Teh-fa (嚴德發) (born 1952)	26 February 2018	23 February 2021	2 years, 363 days	Republic of China Army		Independent	Lai Su II
33		Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) (born 1953)	23 February 2021	20 May 2024	3 years, 87 days	Republic of China Army		Independent	Su II Chen Chien-jen
34		Wellington Koo (顧立雄) (born 1958)	20 May 2024	Incumbent	214 days	Civilian		Democratic Progressive Party	Cho

Notes

1. Kuomintang membership suspended.
2. Kuomintang membership revoked.

References

1. 歷任部長 [Past Ministers]. mnd.gov.tw (in Chinese). Ministry of Nat'l Defense. Retrieved 22 February 2017.