Ministry of National Defense (Republic of China)

ROC Ministry of National Defense former headquarters

The MND was originally established as Ministry of War in 1912 at the creation of the Republic of China. It established a military occupation operation center in Taipei, Formosa in November 1945, following the Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers Douglas MacArthur's September 2, 1945 General Order No. 1, for the surrender of Japanese troops and auxiliary forces in Formosa and the Pescadores to Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek. It was changed to the Ministry of National Defense in 1946. Military operation activities in Formosa and the Pescadores were expanded after Japan renounced its title, right, and claim to Formosa and the Pescadores based on the April 28, 1952 Treaty of Peace with Japan. The Law of National Defense and the Organic Law of the ministry were officially promulgated for implementation on 1 March 2002.[1]

On 8 December 2014, the ministry moved out from its building from the previous one at Boai Building in Zhongzheng District to the current one in Dazhi area at Zhongshan District, where it houses the Air Force Command Headquarters, Navy Command Headquarters and Heng Shan Military Command Center.[2] The completion of the building had been delayed for nearly two decades due to the compound original architecture and the bankruptcy of the project's original contractor. The planning for the new building and relocation had been done since 1997.[3] The official ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on 27 December 2014.[4]

ROC Ministry of National Defense headquarters

The headquarters of the military was originally in eastern Nanjing near Ming Palace. Today it is located in Dazhi area of Zhongshan District in Taipei. The 8-story main building was constructed at a cost of NT$15.8 billion, spreading over 19.5 hectares of area, which houses office buildings, dormitories and other facilities, such as post office, barbershop, sports center, conference hall and sport center to accommodate its 3,000 military personnel stationed there. It also includes several annex buildings around.[5]

The security features of the building include fingerprint and eye scanners that restrict access to certain areas, sensors that can detect vehicles in the unauthorized areas and that may carry explosives and bollards on the compound to block unauthorized vehicles. The compound also has eco-friendly features, such as stone walls, aluminum and low-emission exterior glass panels. The central air conditioning system is provided by ice storage system to reduce peak load electricity demand. The building also has rainwater collecting facilities which can store up to 1,000 tons of water, complete with its waste water treatment and filtering systems.[4]

In 2016 the annual defense budget for Taiwan was NT$320 billion.[6]

In 2021 the Ministry of National Defense began directly funding defense related research at civilian universities. NT$5 billion (US$147 million) were allocated for the first five years of the program with an initial focus on information security and robotics, artificial intelligence, the internet of things and quantum computing. Previously funding had been allocated through intermediaries with most going to military affiliated research organizations like National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology (NCSIST).[7]

Duan Qirui, the 1st Minister of War

1. Ministers of War during the Republic of China (1912-1928) (歷代陸軍總長)：

• Duan Qirui (段祺瑞)：1912–1915; 1st time
• Zhou Ziqi (周自齊)：1913–1914
• Wang Shizhen (王士珍)：1914–1916; 1st time
• Duan Qirui (段祺瑞)：1916–1917; 2nd time
• Zhang Shiyu (張士鈺)：1917
• Wang Shizhen (王士珍)：1917; 2nd time
• Duan Qirui (段祺瑞)：1917; 3rd time
• Wang Shizhen (王士珍)：1917–1918; 3rd time
• Duan Zhigui (段芝貴)：1918–1919
• Jin Yunpeng (靳雲鵬)：1919–1921; 1st time
• Cai Chengxun (蔡成勛)：1921
• Bao Guiqing (鮑貴卿)：1921–1922
• Wu Peifu (吳佩孚)：1922
• Zhang Shaozeng (張紹增)：1922–1923
• Wang Tan (王坦)：1923; 1st time
• Jin Shaozeng (金紹曾)：1923–1924; 2nd time
• Lu Jin (陸錦)：1924
• Li Shucheng (李書城)：1924
• Wu Guangxin (吳光新)：1924–1925
• Jia Deyao (賈德耀)：1925–1926; Anhui clique
• Zhang Jinghui (張景惠)：1926–1927
• He Fenglin (何豐林)：1927–1928

2. Ministers of War during the National Government of the Republic of China (歷代軍政部長)：

• Feng Yuxiang (馮玉祥)：1928–1929; Kuomintang
• Lu Zhonglin (鹿鍾麟)：1929; Kuomintang
• Chen Yi (陳儀)：1929; Kuomintang
• Lu Zhonglin (鹿鍾麟)：1929; Kuomintang
• Zhu Shouguang (朱綬光)：1929–1930; Kuomintang
• He Yingqin (何應欽)：1930–1944; Kuomintang
• Chen Cheng (陳誠)：1944–1946; Kuomintang

3. Ministers of the Navy during the Republic of China (1912-1928) (歷代海軍總長)：

• Liu Guanxiong (劉冠雄)：1912–1916; 1st time
• Cheng Biguang (程璧光)：1916–1917; 1st time
• Sa Zhenbing (薩鎮冰)：1917; 1st time
• Liu Guanxiong (劉冠雄)：1917–1919; 2nd time
• Sa Zhenbing (薩鎮冰)：1919–1921; 2nd time
• Li Dingxin (李鼎新)：1921–1924; 2nd time
• Du Xigui (杜鍚圭)：1924; 1st time
• Lin Jianzhang (林建章)：1924–1925; 1st time
• Du Xigui (杜鍚圭)：1925–1927; 2nd time

4. Ministers of the Navy during the National Government of the Republic of China (歷代海軍部長)：

• Yang Shuzhuang (楊樹莊)：1929–1932; Kuomintang
• Chen Shaokuan (陳紹寬)：1932–1938; Kuomintang

5. Chiefs of Staff during the Republic of China (1912-1928) (歷代參謀總長):

• Huang Xing (黄興)：1912; 1st time
• Xu Shaozhen(徐紹楨)：1912; 1st time
• Li Yuanhong (黎元洪)：1912–1915; 1st time
• Feng Guozhang (馮國璋)：1915–1916; 1st time
• Duan Qirui (段祺瑞)：1916; 1st time
• Wang Shizhen (王士珍)：1916–1917; 1st time
• Yin Chang (蔭昌)：1917–1919; 1st time
• Zhang Huaizhi (張懷芝)：1919–1924; 1st time
• Li Liejun (李烈鈞)：1924–1925; 1st time
• Yang Sen (楊森)：1925–1926; 1st time
• Liu Ruxian (劉汝賢)：1926; 1st time
• Liu Xiang (劉湘)：1926–1927; 1st time

6. Chiefs of Staff during the National Government of the Republic of China (歷代參謀總長)：

• Li Jishen (李濟深)：1928–1929; Kuomintang
• He Yingqin (何應欽)：1929; Kuomintang
• Zhu Peide (朱培德)：1929–1932; Kuomintang
• Chiang Kai-shek (蔣中正)：1932–1935; Kuomintang
• Cheng Qian (程潛)：1935–1938; Kuomintang
• He Yingqin (何應欽)：1938–1946; Kuomintang

7. Directors of Training (歷代訓練總監部長)：

• He Yingqin (何應欽)：1928–1931; Kuomintang
• Li Jishen (李濟深)：1931–1933; Kuomintang
• Zhu Peide (朱培德)：1933–1934; Kuomintang
• Tang Shengzhi (唐生智)：1934–1938; Kuomintang
• Bai Chongxi (白崇禧)：1938–1946; Kuomintang

8. 歷代軍事參議院長：

• Li Zongren (李宗仁)：1928–1929; Kuomintang
• Tang Shengzhi (唐生智)：1929–1931; Kuomintang
• Zhang Jinghui (張景惠)：1931; Kuomintang
• Zhang Yipeng (張翼鵬)：1931–1934; Kuomintang
• Chen Tiaoyuan (陳調元)：1934–1943; Kuomintang
• Li Jishen (李濟深)：1943–1945; Kuomintang
• Long Yun (龍雲)：1945–1946; Kuomintang

• Chief of the General Staff (Republic of China)
• Chinese Republic Ministry of War
• National Revolutionary Army
• Republic of China Armed Forces
  • Republic of China Army
  • Republic of China Navy
    • Republic of China Marine Corps
  • Republic of China Air Force
  • Republic of China Military Police

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ministry of National Defense (Republic of China).

• Official website of the Ministry of National Defense (in Chinese)
• Official website of the Ministry of National Defense (English)