The new chiefs of the air force and navy took office yesterday while their predecessors are to move into higher positions, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said.
Li Tien-yu (李天羽), promoted from deputy air force chief, has replaced General Chen Chao-ming (陳肇敏) as the commander-in-chief of the air force. His rank has also been raised from lieutenant-general to general second-class.
PHOTO: YANG SHUANG-YU, TAIPEI TIMES
Miao Yung-ching (
Chen is scheduled to be appointed as the deputy defense minister for armament affairs, while Li is to become the chief of the general-staff.
Under the new command structure coming into effect March 1, the chief of the general-staff is no longer the most powerful figure in the military. The position has been downgraded to chief-of-staff to the defense minister.
As the deputy defense minister for armament affairs, Chen will be on par with Li in both status and power.
On Tuesday, the new commander-in-chief of the army and the new director of the National Defense University took over their positions.
The new army chief is General Ho Shou-yeh (
Among the new chiefs of the three services, General Li of the air force received the most publicity for his appointment.
Li was under the spotlight amid speculation he attained his position because of support from President Chen Shui-bian (
Li was known to have built a close relationship with President Chen between 1993 and 1994 when Chen was a lawmaker specializing in defense affairs. Li was then the director of a liaison office that the MND had established to improve contacts with lawmakers.
Li, however, was not the candidate that incumbent Chief of the General-Staff General Tang Yao-ming (
Tang wanted the position to go to deputy air force chief Lieutenant-General Liu Kuei-li (
Seniority has always been major factor in the appointment of top military leaders. Liu is three years older than Li and preceded Li in assuming all the important posts necessary to qualify as a candidate for chief of the air force.
With President Chen casting aside the custom of seniority in the military, Li, 56, becomes the youngest air force commander-in-chief in 35 years.
The last air force chief that young was the late General Lai Ming-tang (
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