Chiang Chung-ling

Chiang Chung-ling (simplified Chinese: 蒋仲苓; traditional Chinese: 蔣仲苓; pinyin: Jiǎng Zhònglíng), born September 21, 1922, in Yiwu, Zhejiang, China, is a retired army general and former Minister of Defense of Taiwan.[1]

As Minister of Defense, he called for the use of Sky Horse missile to rival Chinese M-class missiles.[2] Also, several high profile military deaths occurred during his term as Minister of Defense. When being questioned by reporters outside the parliament on September 19, 1995, he replied, "哪個地方不死人?" ("Where do people not die?"). His reply caused a sensation and public condemnation, and finally he apologized on September 25, 1995.

After a C-130H military transport plane crashed on October 10, 1997, near Taipei, Chiang Chung-ling resigned as Minister of Defense on October 11 to take responsibility for the crash, in which all five crew members died.[3]

Notes

  1. ^ Swaine, Michael D. (1999). Taiwan's National Security, Defense Policy, and Weapons Procurement Processes. Rand Corporation. p. 16. ISBN 9780833027986. 
  2. ^ Mistry, Dinshaw (2005). Containing Missile Proliferation: Strategic Technology, Security Regimes, and International Cooperation in Arms Control. University of Washington Press. p. 99. ISBN 9780295985077. 
  3. ^ "Defence minister resigns over plane crash". The Nation: p. 3. October 12, 1997. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=AGMvAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EjIDAAAAIBAJ&pg=3055,4097052&dq=chiang-chung-ling+minister&hl=en. Retrieved February 20, 2011.