Yen Ming | |
|---|---|
| 嚴明 | |
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| 30thMinister of National Defense of theRepublic of China | |
| In office 8 August 2013 – 30 January 2015 | |
| President | Ma Ying-jeou |
| Deputy | Yen Teh-fa,Lee Shying-jow,Chiu Kuo-cheng,Andrew Hsia |
| Preceded by | Andrew Yang Kao Kuang-chi (acting) |
| Succeeded by | Kao Kuang-chi |
| 22ndChief of the General Staff of theRepublic of China Armed Forces | |
| In office 16 January 2013 – 7 August 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Lin Chen-yi |
| Succeeded by | Kao Kuang-chi |
| 4th Commander of theRepublic of China Air Force | |
| In office June 2011 – 15 January 2013 | |
| Preceded by | Lei Yu-chi |
| Succeeded by | Liu Chen-wu |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1949-11-14)14 November 1949 (age 76) |
| Nationality | Republic of China |
| Education | Republic of China Air Force Academy (BS) National Defense University |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Republic of China |
| Branch/service |  Republic of China Air Force |
| Years of service | 1971–2013 |
| Rank |  General |
| Battles/wars | Third Taiwan Strait Crisis |
Yen Ming (traditional Chinese:嚴明;simplified Chinese:严明;pinyin:Yán Míng; born 14 November 1949) was the Minister ofNational Defense of theRepublic of China (Taiwan) from 8 August 2013 to 30 January 2015.[2]
Yen graduated from theRepublic of China Air Force Academy inKaohsiung.[3]
Upon graduation, Yen worked his way through theRepublic of China Air Force, serving as a wing commander, president ofAir Force Academy, Air Force chief of staff and Air Force deputy commanding general.
In October 2008, Yen was promoted as the General of the Air Force.
On 3 January 2013, theMinistry of the Interior announced that PresidentMa Ying-jeou had approved the appointment of Yen to the position of Chief of the General Staff of theRepublic of China Armed Forces. He would replaceLin Chen-yi who was appointed as the military strategy adviser to thePresident.[4]
Yen replaces acting Defense MinisterKao Kuang-chi after the sudden resignation of Defense MinisterAndrew Yang, just 6 days after taking his office after the previous Defense MinisterKao Hua-chu's resignation due to thedeath scandal of Corporal Hung Chung-chiu.
TheExecutive Yuan officially appointed him on 8 August 2013 from his previous post as ROC Chief of the General Staff. Acting Defense Minister Kao Kuang-chi replaces his position as the ROC Chief of the General Staff.[5]
Commenting on the recent abduction incident over a Taiwanese female inSabah,Malaysia, Yen said that although the ROC Ministry of National Defense (MND) has the capability of special forces to save the woman, but then those armed forces are reserved for the use of armed conflict between nation, and MND should not step into an international incident which is the ROCMinistry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) should do. Overseas special forces deployment will only be possible if there is a mutual treaty between the ROC and the host country.[6]
In mid January 2014, Yen announced that the government plan to cut the number ofmilitary to below 200,000 personnel by the end of 2019 to adjust the organization and restructure the armed forces, in which the goal is to make ROC military to be small but elite, small but skillful and small but strong.[7]
