The “military strongman” who was chief of the general staff for eight years, premier in 1990–1993 and a foe of Taiwan independence
Born in 1919 to a landowning family in Yancheng, Jiangsu, he graduated from the Central Military Academy in 1938 and served as an artillery officer with the Chinese expeditionary forces in India. He commanded the 9th Division on Lesser Kinmen during the 1958 bombardment, then served as Chiang Kai-shek’s chief aide and army commander-in-chief before eight years as chief of the general staff, 1981–1989. When Lee Teng-hui made him premier in 1990 to placate the KMT’s conservative mainlanders, protesters denounced a return to military rule. As premier he cracked down on crime, oversaw the Guidelines for National Unification and vowed never to accept Taiwan independence. He resigned in 1993, was expelled from the KMT in 1995 for backing New Party candidates and rejoined in 2005. He died in 2020 at the age of 100.
Also known as: Hao Bocun
Activities and affiliations
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1938–1981
Republic of China state institutionsArmy officer; Commander-in-Chief of the Army
Military command -
1981–1989
Republic of China state institutionsChief of the General Staff
Military command -
1984–1995
KuomintangKMT Central Standing Committee member; Vice-Chairman
Political and party leadership -
1989–1990
Republic of China state institutionsMinister of National Defense
Government and administration -
1990–1993
Republic of China state institutionsPresident of the Executive YuanHeads of state, government and party of ChinaMain
Political and party leadership -
2005–2020
Political and party leadership
Career Timeline
- 1938.01.20Graduated in artillery from the Central Military Academy
- 1942Artillery officer in the Chinese expeditionary forces in India
- 1958–1961Commander of the 9th Infantry Division during the Kinmen bombardment
- 1965–1970Chief Aide to the President
- 1978–1981Commander-in-Chief of the Army
- 1981–1989Chief of the General Staff
- 1989–1990Minister of National Defense
- 1990.06.01–1993.02.27President of the Executive Yuan
- 1993–1995Vice-Chairman of the Kuomintang
- 1995Expelled from the KMT for backing New Party candidates
- 1996Ran for vice-president as Lin Yang-kang’s running mate
- 2005Rejoined the Kuomintang