Former premier Hau Pei-tsun (郝柏村) passed away yesterday at the age of 100, his family said.
Hau passed away at 2:47pm at the Tri-Service General Hospital in Taipei due to multiple organ failure, according to a statement released by the office of his son, former Taipei mayor and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Vice Chairman Hau Lung-bin (郝龍斌).
Hau Pei-tsun was born in August 1919 in China’s Jiangsu Province. He served as chief of the general staff of the Republic of China Armed Forces from December 1981 until his retirement as an army general in December 1989.
Photo: CNA
He then served as minister of national defense from 1989 to 1990 and as premier from 1990 to 1993.
In the statement, Hau Lung-bin said his father devoted his whole life to the nation.
“In my mind, he was a real hero, ” Hau Lung-bin said, adding that despite being a career soldier and preparing for war his whole life, Hau Pei-tsun was afraid that a war would break out and hoped for lasting peace and safety for Taiwan.
In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the family would not hold a funeral service at this time, as the government is discouraging public gatherings, he said, adding that a service would be held later.
The Presidential Office offered its condolences to the family.
KMT Chairman Johnny Chiang (江啟臣) said in a statement the party offers its deepest condolences to the former premier’s family.
“The KMT will forever remember the legendary life of ‘Uncle Hau,’” he added.
The Ministry of National Defense in a statement said that Hau Pei-tsun was a disciplined man, believing that one must embody what one teaches.
He dedicated his life to serving his country and is a role model for all members of the military, the ministry said.
He endeavored for the development and renovation of the armed forces and its equipment, oversaw the restructuring of the military, and witnessed the completion of the research and deployment of the Indigenous Defense Fighter, as well as the research and development of the Sky Bow, Sky Sword and Hsiung Feng II missiles throughout his career, it added.
Former president Lee Teng-hui’s (李登輝) office director Wang Yen-chun (王燕軍) said that Hau Pei-tsun is considered a general of renown and had enjoyed good fortune throughout his long life.
Additional reporting by Sherry Hsiao and Yang Chun-hui
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