Chiang Chung-ling

Chiang Chung-ling
蔣仲苓
Vice Chairman of the Kuomintang
In office
18 June 2000 – 30 March 2003
ChairmanLien Chan
20th Minister of National Defense of the Republic of China
In office
16 December 1994 – 31 January 1999
PresidentLee Teng-hui
DeputyChao Chih-yuan
Wang Wen-hsieh
Wu Shih-wen
Preceded bySun Chen
Succeeded byTang Fei
17th Commander-in-Chief the Republic of China Army
In office
November 1981 – June 1988
PresidentChiang Ching-kuo
Preceded byHau Pei-tsun
Succeeded byHuang Hsin-chiang
Personal details
Born(1922-09-21)September 21, 1922
Yiwu County, Chekiang Province, Republic of China
DiedMarch 18, 2015(2015-03-18) (aged 92)
Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
NationalityRepublic of China
AwardsOrder of Blue Sky and White Sun
Military service
AllegianceRepublic of China
Branch/serviceRepublic of China Army
Years of service1936–1992
RankGeneral
Battles/warsThird Taiwan Strait Crisis

Chiang Chung-ling (Chinese: 蔣仲苓; pinyin: Jiǎng Zhònglíng; 21 September 1922 – 18 March 2015) was a Taiwanese army general, former Minister of Defense and Vice Chairman of the Kuomintang (Chinese Nationalist Party).[1]

As Minister of Defense, he called for the use of Sky Horse missiles to rival Chinese M-class[clarification needed] missiles.[2] Also, several high-profile military deaths occurred during his term as Minister of Defense. When being questioned by reporters outside the parliament on September 19, 1995, he replied with a rhetorical question, "哪個地方不死人?" ("Where do people not die?").[3] His reply caused a sensation and public condemnation, and finally he apologized on September 25, 1995.

After a C-130H military transport plane crashed on October 10, 1997, near Taipei, Chiang Chung-ling resigned as Minister of Defense on October 11 to take responsibility for the crash, in which all five crew members died.[4]

Death

In 2015, he died at Taipei Veterans General Hospital, aged 92, of heart failure.[5]

References

  1. ^ Swaine, Michael D. (1999). Taiwan's National Security, Defense Policy, and Weapons Procurement Processes. Rand Corporation. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-8330-2798-6.
  2. ^ Mistry, Dinshaw (2005). Containing Missile Proliferation: Strategic Technology, Security Regimes, and International Cooperation in Arms Control. University of Washington Press. p. 99. ISBN 978-0-295-98507-7.
  3. ^ "▲國防部前部長蔣仲苓病逝 享壽93歲。（圖／翻攝自國防部發言人臉書）". NOWnews (in Chinese). 19 March 2015. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
  4. ^ "Defence minister resigns over plane crash". The Nation. October 12, 1997. p. 3. Retrieved February 20, 2011.
  5. ^ Lu, Hsin-hui; Chen, Jay (19 March 2015). "Former Defense Minister Chiang Chung-ling dies at 93". Central News Agency. Retrieved 19 March 2015.
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