Chen Yeong-kang

In this Chinese name, the family name is Chen.
Chen Yeong-kang
陳永康
Member of the Legislative Yuan
Incumbent
Assumed office
1 February 2024
ConstituencyParty-list
9th Vice Minister of National Defense (Policy) of the Republic of China
In office
4 March 2015 – 19 May 2016
MinisterKao Kuang-chi
Preceded byAndrew Hsia
Succeeded byLee Hsi-ming
5th Commander of the Republic of China Navy
In office
1 August 2013 – 30 January 2015
Preceded byTung Hsiang-lung
Succeeded byLee Hsi-ming[1]
27th Executive Vice Chief of the General Staff of the ROC Armed Forces
In office
1 September 2012 – 31 July 2013
ChiefLin Chen-yi
Yen Ming
Preceded byKao Kuang-chi
Succeeded byYen Teh-fa
Personal details
Born1951 (age 74–75)
Taipei, Taiwan
PartyKuomintang (since 2023)
EducationRepublic of China Naval Academy (BS)
United States Naval War College (MS)
Military service
AllegianceRepublic of China
Branch/serviceRepublic of China Navy
Years of service1974–2015
RankAdmiral
Battles/warsThird Taiwan Strait Crisis

Chen Yeong-kang (traditional Chinese: 陳永康; simplified Chinese: 陈永康; pinyin: Chén Yǒngkāng), also known as Richard Y. K. Chen, is a Taiwanese politician and retired admiral. Since 2024, he has been a member of the Legislative Yuan from the Kuomintang. He served as the commander of the Republic of China Navy from 2013 to 2015, and as the vice minister of national defense for policy from 2015 to 2016.

He graduated from the Republic of China Naval Academy in 1974 and spent over forty years in military service. Chen finished his career as the commander of the Navy. In that role he launched programs to modernize and expand Taiwan's shipbuilding industry, which led to the construction of its first indigenous submarine, the Hai Kun-class. After leaving the military he was briefly the vice minister of national defense for policy, the top civilian advisor to the minister, and later worked for a defense research institute.

Early life and education

Chen graduated from the Republic of China Naval Academy in 1974. He later graduated from the Naval Command and Staff College at the National Defense University in Taiwan in 1985, and from the United States Naval War College in 1997.[2]

Military career

His assignments in the Republic of China Navy have included as commander of the 168th Fleet, director of operations and intelligence at Navy Command, general director of the office of the Minister of Defense, director of the department of integrated assessment at the Ministry of Defense, and chief of staff and deputy commander of Navy Command.[2] He was also the head of the ROC Defense Mission to the United States, and later president of the National Defense University from 2011 to 2012. Chen became the Executive Vice Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of China Armed Forces in August 2012.[3][4]

Commander of the Navy

He was the commander of the Republic of China Navy (ROCN) from 1 August 2013, succeeding Admiral Tung Hsiang-lung.[3] As commander, Chen was credited for launching shipbuilding modernization initiatives, including the advancement of proposals for Taiwan's Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS).[5] In January 2014, Chen released the Forces Structure and Planning Concepts for the Future ROCN, which called for extending the service life of Taiwan's existing submarines, so that Taiwanese industry could gain experience in submarine construction.[6] The ROCN also would invest US$450 million in the China Shipbuilding Corporation and the Ship and Ocean Industries R&D Center.[7]

The IDS program, launched in April 2014, led to the construction of the Hai Kun-class starting from 2020. Chen formed a team to study submarine design and procurement, and in April 2014 he got the U.S. chief of naval operations, Admiral Jonathan Greenert, to publicly acknowledge U.S.-Taiwan dialogue on the IDS, to remove political opposition to the program.[5] A seminar on the IDS was held with international experts in November 2014, after which the Navy requested a submarine with a displacement of up to 2,000 tons, to be completed in 2024.[6] He also introduced the National Shipbuilding Program, with projects for multiple types of warships, which were constructed in later years.[5]

Chen relinquished command to Admiral Lee Hsi-ming on 31 January 2015,[8] and retired after over 40 years of service in the Republic of China Navy.[9]

Post-service life

He became the Deputy Minister of National Defense (Policy) on 3 March 2015,[10] making him the top civilian advisor to the minister.[9] On 17 March 2015, in an interview with Proceedings magazine of the United States Naval Institute, he stated that the ROCN had a "3A plan," meaning "affordable, applicable and accountable."[11][12]

After leaving the government, he became a board member of Taiwan's top defense research institute.[13] In November 2017, the Ministry of National Defense punished Chen and several other officers for awarding a contract to a financially troubled shipbuilding company that was allegedly involved in a loan fraud scandal.[14] On 1 February 2019, Chen and other officials were impeached by the Control Yuan after a year-long investigation into a contract for six minesweepers on terms that gave undue financial benefit for the shipbuilder, in violation of government procurement regulations.[15]

Member of parliament

Chen Yeong-kang became a member of the Legislative Yuan on the party list of the Kuomintang (KMT) from 1 February 2024.[2][4] He is a member of the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee.[2] As a legislator, he has attempted to expand the Legislative Yuan's control over a number of security powers that belong to the Executive Yuan, which is control by the Democratic Progressive Party.[16]

References

  1. ^ "New defense minister urges alert over Chinese espionage". Focus Taiwan. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  2. ^ a b c d "Legislative Yuan -Chen, Yeong-Kang". www.ly.gov.tw. Legislative Yuan, Republic of China (Taiwan). Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  3. ^ a b "Admiral Chen Yung-kang takes over as head of Taiwan's navy｜WantChinaTimes.com". Archived from the original on 2015-04-16. Retrieved 2014-09-23.
  4. ^ a b "Exclusive Briefing with KMT Lawmaker Chen Yeong-kang". Taiwan Foreign Correspondents' Club. 21 March 2025. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  5. ^ a b c Chang, Cheng-yun (21 October 2025). "Taiwan's submarine dream is becoming a reality". www.tcn.tw. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  6. ^ a b Cropsey, Seth (6 October 2015). "Taiwan Needs Submarines to Defend Itself". Hudson Institute. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  7. ^ Cropsey, Seth (11 November 2015). "Help Taiwan Get Submarines". Hudson Institute. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  8. ^ Minnick, Wendell (31 January 2025). "Navy Takes Lead in Taiwan Military Reshuffle". Defensenews.com. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  9. ^ a b "Taiwan's Defense Strategy and Geopolitical Risks after Nancy Pelosi's Visit". Center for Asia-Pacific Resilience and Innovation Foundation. 24 August 2022. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  10. ^ "Chen Yeong-kang becomes Taiwan's Deputy Defense Minister". US-Taiwan Business Council. 3 March 2015. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  11. ^ Liu Ping (劉屏) (2015-03-18). 陳永康：3A海軍 迎未來挑戰 (in Traditional Chinese). China Times.
  12. ^ "The Commanders Respond: Republic of China Navy". Proceedings of the United States Naval Institute. March 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  13. ^ Scimia, Emanuele (9 July 2018). "Taiwan's submarine program failing to make any waves". Asia Times. Retrieved 22 December 2025.
  14. ^ "Navy officers punished over controversial warship contract". Focus Taiwan. 22 November 2017. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  15. ^ Pan, Jason (2 February 2019). "Retired admirals impeached over scandal". Taipei Times. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
  16. ^ Hioe, Brian (26 April 2025). "Is the KMT Seeking to Expand Its Reach Over Security Powers?". New Bloom. Retrieved 23 December 2025.
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