The commander-in-chief of the air force is expected to be replaced in February, which is likely to trigger a change of leaders in the other branches of the military at the same time, according to defense sources.
Incumbent Air Force Commander-in-Chief General Chen Chao-ming (陳肇敏) is to be replaced by newly appointed deputy chief of the air force Lieutenant-General Li Tien-yu (李天羽), sources said.
A Chinese-language newspaper has reported that Li is to replace Chen, saying that Li is President Chen Shui-bian's (
An air force general who declined to be identified told the Taipei Times that it is widely known in the military that Li is to become the next leader of the service because he has Chen's support.
The air force's general headquarters refused to comment on the matter, but did say that Li is to serve in his deputy service chief position for only six months.
Li assumed his current position on Sept. 1, becoming one of three deputy commanders-in-chief of the service.
It is rare for the air force to have three deputy commanders-in-chief at the same time, the usual number being two.
"It is not the first time that the air force has had three deputy commanders-in-chief at the same time. Incumbent director of the National Defense University, General Hsia Yin-chou (
"Lieutenant-General Li is to stay in his deputy service chief position for no longer than half a year. It is a temporary post. It is a special arrangement that we are not in a position to comment on," said the spokesman, who did not wish to be identified.
If Li is to stay in his current job for no longer than six months, his promotion to the air force's chief post could occur in February, a common time for changing positions in the military.
The arrangement is considered a way of making Li eligible for the top air-force job since, under military tradition, the person who holds that post must have previous experience as a deputy chief or equivalent post.
Li is said to be favored by President Chen because of his contacts with the president while Chen was a member of the Legislative Yuan's defense committee. Li played a liaison role for air force general headquarters and is reported to have won Chen's trust in that role.
Li's replacement of Chen Chao-ming is expected to trigger changes across most senior positions in the military.
Erich Shih (
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