Chiu Kuo-cheng

Taiwanese politician and retired general

In this Chinese name, the family name is  Chiu.

Chiu Kuo-cheng

邱國正
34th Minister of National Defense
In office
23 February 2021 – 20 May 2024
President| Tsai Ing-wen
Premier| Su Tseng-chang
Chen Chien-jen
Preceded by| Yen Teh-fa
Succeeded by| Wellington Koo
18th Director-General of the National Security Bureau
In office
24 July 2019 – 22 February 2021
Preceded by| Peng Sheng-chu
Ko Cheng-heng (acting)
Succeeded by| Chen Ming-tong
3rd Minister of the Veterans Affairs Council
In office
26 February 2018 – 23 July 2019
Preceded by| Lee Shying-jow
Succeeded by| Lee Wen-chung (acting)
Feng Shih-kuan
25th Chief of the General Staff of the ROC Armed Forces
In office
1 December 2016 – 30 April 2017
Preceded by| Yen Teh-fa
Succeeded by| Lee Hsi-ming
6th Commander of the ROC Army
In office
30 January 2015 – 30 November 2016
Preceded by| Yen Teh-fa
Succeeded by| Wang Shin-lung
9th Deputy Minister of National Defense for Armaments
In office
1 August 2014 – 29 January 2015
Preceded by| Lee Shying-jow
Succeeded by| Liu Chen-wu
Personal details
Born|  (1953-04-12) 12 April 1953 (age 72)
Taipei, Taiwan
Political party| Independent
Education| Republic of China Military Academy (BS)
National Defense University (MS)
United States Army War College (MS)
Nickname(s)| General Turf-Scalp[1]
Chiu the Squad-leader
Military service
Allegiance|  Republic of China
Branch/service|  Republic of China Army
Years of service| 1971–2017
Rank|  Chief of the General Staff (Chinese: Cānmóu zǒngzhǎng)

Chiu Kuo-cheng (traditional Chinese: 邱國正; simplified Chinese: 邱国正; pinyin: Qiū Guózhèng; born 12 April 1953) is a Taiwanese politician and retired general of the ROC Army. He was the Minister of National Defense from 23 February 2021 to 20 May 2024 and the Director-General of the National Security Bureau from 24 July 2019 to 22 February 2021.[2] He served as the Chief of General Staff of the Republic of China Armed Forces from 1 December 2016 to 28 April 2017,[3] and was a former Vice Minister of National Defense for Armaments.

## Education

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Chiu graduated from the Republic of China Military Academy in 1965 and was commissioned into the Republic of China Military Academy armored corps. He earned a master's degree from the Army Command and Staff College of National Defense University in 1978 and studied at the South African Military Academy in 1981 before completing studies at the War College of National Defense University in 1984. In 1988, he earned a master's degree from the United States Army War College and later completed a 1-year training program of the U.S. Army War College in 1999, and was inducted into the school's International Fellows Hall of Fame in 2018.[4]

## Career

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Chiu Kuo-cheng in 2017

Chiu was the president of National Defense University in Taoyuan from 1 September 2012 to 31 July 2014.[5] Chiu was Vice Minister of National Defense for Armaments from August 2014 to January 2015.[5]

Chiu was Commander of the ROC Army from January 2015 through November 2016.

He was appointed to the position of Chief of the General Staff of the ROC Armed Forces on 24 November 2016, upon the retirement of General Yen Teh-fa, and assumed this post on 1 December of that year.[6] until 28 April 2017 when Admiral Lee Hsi-ming succeeded his post.[3]

Chiu took office as head of the Veterans Affairs Council on 26 February 2018, succeeding Lee Shying-jow.[7]

Chiu succeeded Peng Sheng-chu at the National Security Bureau on 24 July 2019.[8] During his term, the Wang Liqiang incident resulting in the detention case of the couple Xiang xin and Gong Qing for influencing the 2020 Taiwanese presidential election strained the cross-strait relations,[9] [10] [11] while the internal legal issues continued such as the tax-free cigarette smuggling investigation procedure with the review failed to reform the Special Service Command Center from the NSB structure, the compensation lawsuit of a severe training gun-shot injury, and the unresolved military vs civil personnel administrative contradiction with power struggles in the intelligence circle.[12][13][14] General Chiu's promise during the parliament committee hearing in 2020 to task a special project to examine the impeached sexual violation case failed without open follow-up report, but the accused superior silently retired, and the female victim trainee being charged in another reason, hence further exposed the long-term ethical and the appealing system issues.[15][16]

In February 2021, Chiu was appointed defense minister.[17][18] He formally assumed the role on 23 February 2021.[19]

## Legacy

[edit]

### Language dispute in the Legislative Yuan

[edit]

The 2018 Development of National Languages Act stipulates the government agencies to provide interpretation services when citizens participating in administrative, legislative, and judicial procedures can freely choose to use their national languages,[20] therefore the Legislative Yuan activated the interpreters for the parliament session in real time accordingly.[21] On 27 September 2021, after having followed the regulation to apply the real-time interpretation service in advance and 3 Taiwanese interpreters been present ready at site,[22] Legislator, Chen Po-wei of the Taiwan Statebuilding Party proceeded his scheduled questioning in Taiwanese during the session of Foreign and National Defense Committee.[23][24] Chiu rejected to speak Taiwanese, nor accepted the interpreter's real-time service at site, but brought the deputy minister Zong-hsiao Li as his own interpreter, and insisted in the 3-way translation pattern sentence by sentence.[22] Chiu repeatedly interrupted the question process by asking Chen to speak Mandarin Chinese for easier communication, or the session time cannot be lengthened to accommodate the interpretation,[23][24] but Li is not a linguistic professional, hence his translation contains contextual errors,[23][24][22] so Chairman Chen I-hsin intervened when the argument heated, and tried to introduce the existing synchronized interpretation in progress at site as the solution same as the common conference practice in the other countries, but Chiu never picked up the earset, but insisted his way till the session run out of time.[23][24] Chen later apologized to the public for the good intention of practicing the national language law being turned into a linguistic communication tragedy, and condemned Chiu for "bullying" (鴨霸), but Chiu denied the allegation and claimed that a language is a tool of communication.[22] The parliamentary interpretation service were temporarily suspended afterwards pending on better communication in the future - consequently the parliament members and media editorials such as Kuan Bi-ling and Taipei Times commented that Language is not just a tool of communication as Chiu said, but also an identity of feelings and culture.[25] Councilor Miao Poya also explained that the multi-lingual working environment is essential for a healthy mind without the "Chinese Language Supremacy" (華語至上) attitude to achieve the international level in diversity, equality and mutual respect for a modern state.[22]

### March 7 Incident script controversy in military literature award

[edit]

On 29 November 2021, during the process co-operating with the Parliament to establish the All-Out Defense Mobilization Agency to reform the ROC Armed Forces Reserve system,[26] Chiu personally handed a fifty-fifth annual military literature award to Colonel Yi-ching Zhou, Deputy Commander of the Psychological Warfare Team from the Political Warfare Bureau,[27] author of the controversial short screen script Lao Dzai (老翟) for its deviation from the historical facts of Lieyu massacre in 1987,[28] referring to the conscription reserve officer in the second lieutenant rank from the National Taiwan University and a retired Senior master sergeant as the offenders and the end with the refugees received the compensation to leave peacefully,[29][30] hence caused injustice concern among the veterans in the society.[31]

### Critical comment on the Special Force soldier complaint

[edit]

On 11 March 2022, a special force member wrote a letter to President Tsai Ing-wen complaining that the insufficient logistic supply for the basic combatant equipment has compelled the soldiers to purchase from outsider suppliers at their own expense for two years, then being disqualified as non-standard, in contrast of the reserve trainees receiving new sets; and appealed to abolish the mandatory diary writing for examination.[32][33] The classified document "2022006470" was mysteriously leaked from the President Office with his identity exposed to the media. On 18 March, Chiu claimed: "I will not let him get away with it", "Fix the crying baby!"; but later clarified while being questioned by the parliament members in the Legislative Yuan, that he just disgusts the coward behavior behind his back, and the critique unfair to the preparatory staff.[34][35] The incident raised the broad attention on related issues with perspective discussion in politics.[36]

### FBI Counterintelligence Investigation

[edit]

In October, 2022, FBI Counterintelligence Division arrested Chu Yi-fei (朱一飛), an employee of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for making false statements about his ties with the Republic of China Navy and falsifying documents when applying for security clearance, according to the FBI investigator's affidavit filed in federal court.[37] Born in Taiwan, Chu signed forms declaring he had renounced his citizenship in 2008, but concealed the fact being still a ROC citizen; and also lied about obtaining a new ROC passport and traveling to live in Taiwan in 2020-21 without his supervisors' knowledge.[38]

Chu failed to disclose extensive contacts with the ROC Navy members and being hired by the Taiwanese company, and multiple meeting occasions on a military base in Taiwan. Chu provided the ROC Navy the consulting services related to his work during an employment period with the United States Navy, which predated his work at NOAA, as per the criminal complaint announced by United States Attorney Dawn Ison.[39]

On 28 October, Chiu declares that Chu is not ROC military personnel, nor does he have direct contact with the ROC Navy, nor ever entered a military camp as rumored.[40]

## Honors

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* 2024 Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon[41]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "從兩皮將軍到國防部長 邱國正的「安內攘外」之路" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Apple Daily. 2022-03-27. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
2. ^ Taiwan appoints minister of veterans affairs as new intelligence agency chief \- Taiwan English News(07/24/2019)
3. ^ a b 陳建興 (2017-04-28). "馮部長主持參謀總長任職布達 李喜明上將接任" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). 軍聞社 (Military News Agency). Archived from the original on 2017-04-28. Retrieved 2017-04-29.
4. ^ Lo, Tien-pin; Chin, Jonathan (25 September 2018). "Minister joins US college hall of fame". Taipei Times. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
5. ^ a b Hou, Elaine (29 July 2014). "Chiu Kuo-cheng named deputy defense minister". Central News Agency. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
6. ^ "Chiu Kuo-cheng appointed chief of the general staff - Taipei Times". Taipei Times. 25 November 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
7. ^ "New ministers take office after partial Cabinet reshuffle in Taiwan". Taiwan Today. 26 February 2018. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
8. ^ Ku, Chuan; Yu, Matt; Yeh, Joseph (24 July 2019). "Veterans Affairs Council head named new top intelligence chief". Central News Agency. Retrieved 27 July 2019.
9. ^ Bachelard, Michael (2019-11-26). "Taiwan detains alleged agent identified in Australian reports, calls China 'enemy of democracy'". The Age. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
10. ^ 樊冬寧 (2019-11-24). "海峽論談 - 有30年情報工作經驗的台灣前國安局第一處副處長蕭台福與民進黨立委王定宇、中華戰略學會李華球解析王立強事件" (in Chinese (China)). Voice of America. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
11. ^ 陳民峰 (2019-11-25). "中國創新投資公司主席向心及妻子龔青在台灣機場被扣" (in Chinese (China)). Radio France Internationale. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
12. ^ Adela Lin (2019-07-23). "Taiwan Spy Chief Quits Over $200,000 Tax-Free Cigarettes Scandal". Bloomberg News. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
13. ^ "[National Security Topics] Crux to Solve the Problem within the Secret Services: Why the Secret Services business Should Be Separated from the National Security Bureau" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). City News. 2020-12-28.
14. ^ "National Security Bureau Must Reform Itself to Win People's Support" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Up Media. 2021-04-26. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
15. ^ Xie Meng-zhe (2020-11-08). "國安局訓練中心女學員指控軍官"騷擾襲胸" 國安局長:不會吃案" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). SET iNews. Retrieved 2021-05-30.
16. ^ "National Security Bureau Cannot Cover Up the Training Center Scandal Again" (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Up Media. 2021-05-30.
17. ^ Su, Yung-yao; Lee, Hsin-fang; Chin, Jonathan (20 February 2021). "Tsai changes up Cabinet". Taipei Times. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
18. ^ Liu, Kuan-ting; Wen, Kuei-hsiang; Mazzetta, Matthew (19 February 2021). "Taiwan names new defense, intelligence, China affairs heads (update)". Central News Agency. Retrieved 19 February 2021.
19. ^ "New MAC minister eyes end to impasse". Taipei Times. 24 February 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
20. ^ Ministry of Culture (11 January 2019). "Development of National Languages Act". Taipei. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
21. ^ "National languages development act passed by Legislature". Taiwan Today. Taipei. 26 December 2018. Retrieved 16 April 2022.
22. ^ a b c d e Li, Bing-fang (28 September 2021). "陳柏惟台語質詢和邱國正起衝突，道歉嘆「喜事變悲劇」，立院將暫緩執行通譯服務加強溝通" [Bo-wei Chen questioned Kuo-Cheng Chiu in Taiwanese, and sighed after the conflict: "A happy event turned into a tragedy" - the Legislative Yuan will suspend the interpretation service and improve the communication] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taipei: The News Lens. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
23. ^ a b c d Chen Po-wei; Chiu Kuo-cheng (27 September 2021). "會議隨選" [Meeting Recording Selection] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taipei: Multi-media Selection Video System, Meeting Broadcast IVOD Network, Legislative Yuan. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
24. ^ a b c d Chen Po-wei; Chiu Kuo-cheng (27 September 2021). "立法院公報第100卷第75期委員會紀錄-立法院第10屆第4會期外交及國防委員會第2次全體委員會議紀錄" [The Second Committee Meeting Minute, Foreign and National Defense Committee, Fourth Session, Tenth period, Gazette of the Legislative] (PDF) (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taipei: Gazette of the Legislative Yuan, Vol. 100, Issue 75. Retrieved 8 April 2022.
25. ^ "EDITORIAL: Language is not just a tool". Taipei Times. Taipei. 6 October 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2022.
26. ^ Zhuang, Ya-ting (5 March 2022). "恢復徵兵制？ 退役中將曝5大問題" [Five Major Issues to Bring Back the Conscription System as per Lieutenant-general (Ret.) Shuai] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taipei: China Times. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
27. ^ "『國防小尖兵』-節目預吿" [Military Education Broadcast Preview] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taipei: Voice of Han. 19 January 2022. Retrieved 20 February 2022.
28. ^ Luo Yi-ting (29 November 2021). "【國軍第55屆文藝金像獎】多元創作宣揚國軍守護家園信念" [« 55th ROCAF Literature Awards » Diversified Creativity Promotes the Faith of Republic of China Armed Forces in Protecting the Homeland] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taipei: Youth Daily News. Retrieved 8 February 2022.
29. ^ Zhu, Guo-zhen (25 February 2022). "S2E15與國軍文藝金像獎得主周宜慶上校談劇本《老翟》(上)" [Talk with the winner of the ROC military literature award, Colonel Yi-ching Zhou on the screen script <Lao Dzai>, Part I]. 珍正好時光 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taipei: Voice of Han. Retrieved 21 March 2022 – via SoundOn.
30. ^ Zhu, Guo-zhen (25 February 2022). "S2E16與國軍文藝金像獎得主周宜慶談劇本《老翟》(下)" [Talk with the winner of the ROC military literature award, Colonel Yi-ching Zhou on the screen script <Lao Dzai>, Part II]. 珍正好時光 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taipei: Voice of Han. Retrieved 21 March 2022 – via SoundOn.
31. ^ Gao, Ling-yun (8 March 2022). "【東崗慘案疑雲／上】國軍得獎劇本「改編」惹議：小金門當年誰下令射殺難民" [«Donggang Massacre Suspicion / Part I» The "Adaptation" of the ROC military award-winning script provoked controversy: Who ordered the shooting to kill the refugees in Lesser Kinmen] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). New Taipei City: United Daily News. Retrieved 21 March 2022.
32. ^ Bai, Hsi-keng (18 March 2022). "特戰兵寫信給總統 有怎樣三軍統帥就有怎樣國軍" [Special Force soldier wrote to President: "Like such a military commander, like such an army."] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). New Taipei City: United Daily News. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
33. ^ Lin, Yi; Fan, Yang-guang (18 March 2022). "「裝備自購教召用全新」特戰兵怒嗆蔡英文 網看末段驚：整個連要起飛" ["Self-help purchasing equipment while the reserve trainees receiving new sets", Special Force soldier complained to President Tsai] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taipei: China Times. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
34. ^ "特戰兵寫信向總統陳情 邱國正烙狠話「不會放過他」" [Special Force soldier wrote a letter appealing to the President, Chiu harshly responds "won't let him get away with it."]. 解讀國軍軍事聞 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taipei: BCC News Radio. 23 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022 – via Yahoo! News Taiwan.
35. ^ "特戰兵向小英告狀裝備爛 邱國正撂話要修理「靠北」的人" [Special Force soldier complained about the bad equipment to the President; Chiu gives the words: "Fix the crying baby."]. 政治中心綜合報導 (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taipei: Taiwanhot. 23 March 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2022 – via Yahoo! News Taiwan.
36. ^ Wang, Jiong-hua (25 March 2022). "特戰兵向蔡英文陳情！身分內容竟遭總統府曝光 官員憂：恐引發國安危機" [Special Force soldier complained to President Tsai! His identity was exposed by the presidential palace. Official concerns: "It may lead to the national security crisis"] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taipei: RW News. Retrieved 29 March 2022.
37. ^ Everington, Keoni (25 October 2022). "FBI nabs Taiwanese man for secret work with Taiwan Navy". Taipei: Taiwan News. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
38. ^ Snell, Robert (25 October 2022). "Feds arrest Ypsi man in rare FBI counterintelligence probe". Michigan: The Detroit News. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
39. ^ "Ypsilanti man charged with making false statements to obtain security clearance". Detroit: CBS News. 25 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
40. ^ Du, Guan-lin (28 October 2022). "美台裔公務員遭捕傳是台灣海軍 邱國正：已確認非軍方人員" [Regarding the arrested U.S. public servant with Taiwanese origin being a Taiwanese Navy member, Chiu Kuo-cheng: "Verified not a military personnel"] (in Chinese (Taiwan)). Taipei: ETtoday News. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
41. ^ Wang, Flor; Wen, Kuei-shang (14 May 2024). "Outgoing President Tsai honors VP Lai, 12 other officials". Central News Agency. Retrieved 14 May 2024.

## External links

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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Chiu Kuo-cheng.

Wikiquote has quotations related to Chiu Kuo-cheng.