The US-Taiwan Business Council (USTBC) and the U.S. defense community today mourn the loss of eight Taiwan defense officials killed in a helicopter crash in the mountains of New Taipei City on the morning of January 2, 2020. The list of casualties include Taiwan’s top military official, Chief of the General Staff General Shen Yi-ming, who was one of nine military officials aboard along with three crew members and a reporter from the Military News Agency. The UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter was en route from Taipei to a base in Yilan as part of a pre-Lunar New Year visit with troops when it crashed.
In response, Taiwan has grounded its 52 Black Hawk helicopters for inspection of fuselage structure, radar, control, and other systems, including the 14 Black Hawks fielded by the Taiwan Air Force, 30 by the Taiwan Army, and 8 by the National Airborne Service Corps. The Ministry of National Defense has said that a special task force will be formed to investigate the cause of the crash. In addition, all three candidates in Taiwan’s January 11, 2020 presidential election have announced that they will temporarily suspend their campaigns to observe a period of mourning.
Council President Rupert Hammond-Chambers expressed his thoughts, saying “USTBC, our members, and the entire U.S. defense community are saddened by this terrible tragedy. We mourn those lost, and hope for a swift recovery for the five survivors. In particular, the loss of CGS Shen Yi-ming is a blow to Taiwan’s ongoing determination to combat aggressive and coercive efforts by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to end Taiwan’s free and democratic society. General Shen was a leading voice in the evolving strategy to combat PRC coercion on and around the island, as well as the procurement, training and posture necessary to deter the PRC from unilateral efforts to undermine the island’s sovereignty.”
“General Shen was a leading candidate for the post of Minister of National Defense, should President Tsai secure a second term. In addition, he was a kind and intelligent person steeped in humility and highly respected within Taiwan’s military and civilian leadership. He had also built a strong professional network in the U.S., particularly during his time as Vice Minister for Policy, which strengthened his importance as an indispensable voice. He will be greatly missed.”
The eight officials killed in the crash were:
- Air Force General Shen Yi-ming, Chief of the General Staff, Ministry of National Defense
- Major General Hung Hung-chun, Office of the Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Intelligence (J2)
- Major General Yu Chin-wen, Deputy Director, Political Warfare Bureau
- Lieutenant Colonel Yeh Chien-yi, Pilot
- Captain Liu Chen-fu, Co-pilot
- Sergeant Major Han Cheng-hung
- Sergeant Hsu Hung-pin, Engineer
- Major Huang Sheng-hang, Staff Officer, Office of the Chief of the General Staff
The five survivors are:
- Lieutenant General Huang Yu-min, Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Logistics (J4)
- Lieutenant General Tsao Chin-ping, Deputy Chief of the General Staff for Communications, Electronics & Information (J6)
- Major General Liu Hsiao-tang, Director, Accounting Office, Operations & Planning (J3)
- Lieutenant Colonel Chou Hsin-yi, Officer, Operations & Planning (J3)
- Sergeant Chen Ying-chu, Reporter, Military News Agency
About the US-Taiwan Business Council:
The US-Taiwan Business Council (www.us-taiwan.org) is a membership-based
non-profit association, founded in 1976 to foster trade and business relations
between the United States and Taiwan. The Council provides its members with
business intelligence, offers access to an extensive network of relationships,
and serves as a vital and effective representative in dealing with business,
trade, and investment matters.
Taiwan Ministry of National Defense (MND) Reports
Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) occasionally publishes reports on the status of the military and national security in Taiwan.
Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR)
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Quadrennial Defense Review 2009
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Quadrennial Defense Review 2013
Published in March, 2013
Quadrennial Defense Review 2017
Published in March, 2017
Quadrennial Defense Review 2021
Published in March, 2021
National Defense Report
For the Chinese language and comic book versions of these reports, and for all MND publications, see www.mnd.gov.tw. Follow links to the publication page.
National Defense Report 2002
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National Defense Report 2006
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National Defense Report 2008
Published May 13, 2008
National Defense Report 2009
Published October, 2009
National Defense Report 2011
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National Defense Report 2013
Published October, 2013
National Defense Report 2015
Published October, 2015
National Defense Report 2017
Published December, 2017
National Defense Report 2019
Published September, 2019
National Defense Report 2021
Published November 9, 2021
National Defense Report 2023
Published September 12, 2023
Additional versions of these reports are also available at the Taiwan in Perspective’s “Complete Collection of Taiwan’s Defence Policy Documents” page.