Hau Pei-tsun

Hau Pei-tsun (Chinese: 郝柏村; pinyin: Hǎo Bócūn, 8 August 1919 – 30 March 2020) was a Taiwanese politician who was the Premier of the Republic of China (ROC) from 1 June 1990 to 27 February 1993, and the longest-serving Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of China Armed Forces from 1 December 1981 to 4 December 1989. On 6 July 2017, Hau attended an academic meeting in Nanjing about the history of the Second Sino-Japanese War, making him the first former ROC premier to visit Mainland China since the end of the Chinese Civil War in 1949.[1] He turned 100 in August 2019.[2]

Hau Pei-tsun
郝柏村
13th Premier of the Republic of China
In office
1 June 1990  27 February 1993
PresidentLee Teng-hui
DeputyShih Chi-yang
Preceded byLee Huan
Succeeded byLien Chan
Other offices
17th Minister of National Defense of the Republic of China
In office
5 December 1989  31 May 1990
PresidentLee Teng-hui
PremierLee Huan
DeputyKuo Tsung-ching
Preceded byCheng Wei-yuan
Succeeded byChen Li-an
12th Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of China Armed Forces
In office
1 December 1981  4 December 1989
PresidentChiang Ching-kuo
Lee Teng-hui
DeputyWu Yueh (Air Force)
Tsou Chien (Navy)
Kuo Ju-lin (Air Force)
Chiang Chung-ling (Army)
Preceded bySoong Chang-chi (Navy)
Succeeded byChen Sheng-lin (Air Force)
16th Commander-in-Chief of the Republic of China Army
In office
March 1978  November 1981
PresidentYen Chia-kan
Chiang Ching-kuo
Preceded byMa An-lan
Succeeded byChiang Chung-ling
Personal details
Born(1919-08-08)8 August 1919
Yancheng, Jiangsu, Republic of China
Died30 March 2020(2020-03-30) (aged 100)
Neihu, Taipei, Taiwan
Resting placeWuzhi Mountain Military Cemetery
NationalityRepublic of China
Political partyKuomintang (1938–1995, 2005–2020)
Spouse(s)
Kuo Wan-hua
(m. 1950; died 2018)
Children2 sons
3 daughters
Military service
AllegianceRepublic of China
Branch/serviceRepublic of China Army
Years of service1938–1989
RankSenior General
Battles/warsSecond Sino-Japanese War
World War II
Chinese Civil War
Second Taiwan Strait Crisis
Chinese name
Chinese郝柏村
courtesy name
Chinese伯春

Biography

Born to a well-to-do family in Yancheng, Jiangsu, on 8 August 1919,[3][4] Hau received a military education from the Republic of China Military Academy, National Defense University, U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, and the War College, Armed Forces University. Hau was appointed an artillery officer in 1938, and served in the Chinese expeditionary forces in India during World War II. In the subsequent Chinese Civil War he was a staff officer.

As commander of the 9th Infantry Division from 1958 to 1961, Hau presided over the 44-day bombardment of Quemoy by the People's Liberation Army. He commanded the 3rd Corps from 1963 to 1965 and served as Chief Aide to Chiang Kai-shek from 1965 to 1970. He continued his army career as Commander of the 1st Field Army from 1970 to 1973, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the ROC Army from 1975 to 1977, Executive Vice Chief of the General Staff in the Ministry of National Defense from 1977 to 1978, Commander-in-Chief of the ROC Army 1978 to 1981, and Chief of the General Staff in the Ministry of National Defense from 1981 to 1989. whereas he received the instruction of President Chiang Ching-kuo to investigate the Lieyu Massacre in May 1987.[5]

He was a member of the Central Standing Committee of the Kuomintang from 1984 to 1993 and served as Minister of National Defense from 1989 until 1990 when he was appointed Premier. He was appointed by President Lee Teng-hui in part to mollify the conservative mainlander faction within the KMT that had threatened to run a rival presidential ticket in the March 1990 election. Hau's appointment sparked protests by those who believed it marked retrogression toward military rule, while President Lee defended his decision by saying he valued Hau's tough stance on crime. As premier he held high approval ratings (even higher than Lee's)—he was tough on crime and promoted a multibillion-dollar economic development plan to industrialize Taiwan. Hau submitted his resignation in January 1993 after the KMT's poor showing in the 1992 Legislative Yuan election.

Appointed as one of four vice-chairmen of the KMT in the 14th Party Congress (immediately following the defection of the New Kuomintang Alliance) in another effort by Lee to pacify the mainlander faction, Hau served from 1993 to 1995.

He was expelled from the Kuomintang for his support of New Party candidates in the 1995 legislative elections,[6] and was named Lin Yang-kang's running mate in the 1996 presidential election. Hau rejoined the KMT in 2005.[7][8]

1996 Republic of China Presidential Election Result
President Candidate Vice President Candidate Party Votes %
Lee Teng-hui Lien Chan Kuomintang 5,813,699 54.0
Peng Ming-min Frank Hsieh Democratic Progressive Party 2,274,586 21.1
Lin Yang-kang Hau Pei-tsun Independent 1,603,790 14.9
Chen Li-an Wang Ching-feng Independent 1,074,044 9.9
Invalid/blank votes117,160
Total10,883,279100

Personal life

He married Kuo Wan-hua and had two sons and three daughters. One of his sons is politician Hau Lung-pin, the former chairman of the New Party, and former Mayor of Taipei. Kuo Wan-hua died on 12 September 2018, aged 96.[9] Hau was baptized as a Christian on 31 December 2017.[10]

Hau Pei-tsun died of multiple organ failure at Tri-Service General Hospital on 30 March 2020, aged 100.[11][12] He was posthumously awarded a presidential citation.[13]

See also

References

Citations

  1. Miao, Tzung-han; Chang, S.C. (6 July 2017). "Ex-premier's presence in China alarms Taiwan's current government". Focus Taiwan. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  2. "郝柏村百歲回憶錄 出將入相的傳奇人生". gvm.com.tw. 2019-08-08. Retrieved 2019-08-08.
  3. Profile of Hau Pei-tsun
  4. https://m.haiwainet.cn/middle/3543599/2019/0820/content_31613998_1.html
  5. Hau Pei-tsun (2000). ""Diary of Eight Years as Chief of the General Staff" (1981-1989)". Commonwealth Publishing Co., Ltd. OL 13062852M.(in Chinese)
  6. Sheng, Virginia (30 August 1996). "Lee restates ruling party's unification, diplomacy goals". Taiwan Today. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 13 May 2016 via Taiwan Info.
  7. Hong, Caroline (7 February 2005). "Lien beckons stray sheep to return to the KMT fold". Taipei Times. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  8. "18 ex-KMT heavyweights rejoin opposition party". China Post. 7 February 2005. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
  9. 国民党大佬郝柏村夫人病逝 子郝龙斌望低调办后事 (in Chinese)
  10. 每天讀聖經 郝柏村99歲受洗歸入主名下 (in Chinese)
  11. Yu, Hsiang; Hsu, Elizabeth (30 March 2020). "Former Premier Hau Pei-tsun dies at 100". Central News Agency. Retrieved 30 March 2020.
  12. Chung, Lawrence (30 March 2020). "Former Taiwan premier Hau Pei-tsun dies aged 100 after life as soldier and statesman". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 2 April 2020.
  13. Hetherington, William (2 April 2020). "Hau contributed greatly to nation: Tsai". Taipei Times. Retrieved 2 April 2020.

Sources

  • Denny Roy, Taiwan: A Political History (Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2003)

Quotations related to Hau Pei-tsun at Wikiquote

Government offices
Preceded by
Soong Chang-chi
Chief of the General Staff
1981–1989
Succeeded by
Chen Hsing-ling
Preceded by
Cheng Wei-yuan
Minister of National Defense
1989–1990
Succeeded by
Chen Li-an
Preceded by
Lee Huan
Premier
1990–1993
Succeeded by
Lien Chan
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