# Minister of National Defense (Republic of China)

The Minister of National Defense (Chinese: 中華民國國防部部長; pinyin: Zhōnghuá mínguó guófáng bù bùzhǎng) is the minister responsible for the Ministry of National Defense. Most ministers were either active or retired military generals, with only four civilians having served as ministers in the post-martial law era.

## Ministers of National Defense

The following ministers have served:
| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) | Term of office | Term of office | Term of office | Defense branch before appointment | Party | Party | Cabinet |
| No. | Portrait | Name (born–died) | Took office | Left office | Time in office | Defense branch before appointment | Party | Party | Cabinet |
| 1 | | Bai Chongxi (白崇禧) (1893–1966) | 23 May 1946 | 2 June 1948 | 2 years, 10 days | Republic of China Army | | Kuomintang | Soong [zh] Zhang [zh] Weng [zh] |
| 2 | | He Yingqin (何應欽) (1890–1987) | 3 June 1948 | 21 December 1948 | 201 days | Republic of China Army | | Kuomintang | Weng [zh] Sun II [zh] |
| 3 | | Xu Yongchang (徐永昌) (1885–1959) | 22 December 1948 | 30 April 1949 | 129 days | Republic of China Army | | Kuomintang | Sun II [zh] He [zh] |
| (2) | | He Yingqin (何應欽) (1890–1987) | 1 May 1949 | 11 June 1949 | 41 days | Republic of China Army | | Kuomintang | He [zh] Yan [zh] |
| 4 | | Yan Xishan (閻錫山) (1883–1960) | 12 June 1949 | 31 January 1950 | 233 days | Republic of China Army | | Kuomintang | Yan [zh] |
| 5 | | Gu Zhutong (顧祝同) (1893–1987) | 1 February 1950 | 31 March 1950 | 58 days | Republic of China Army | | Kuomintang | Yan [zh] C. Chen I [zh] |
| 6 | | Yu Ta-wei [zh] (俞大維) (1897–1993) | 1 April 1950 | 28 February 1951 | 333 days | Republic of China Army | | Independent | C. Chen I [zh] |
| 7 | | Kuo Chi-chiao [zh] (郭寄嶠) (1902–1998) | 1 March 1951 | 31 May 1954 | 3 years, 91 days | Republic of China Army | | Kuomintang | C. Chen I [zh] |
| (6) | | Yu Ta-wei [zh] (俞大維) (1897–1993) | 1 June 1954 | 13 January 1965 | 10 years, 226 days | Republic of China Army | | Independent | C. Chen I [zh] H. C. Yu [zh] C. Chen II [zh] Yen [zh] |
| 9 | | Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) (1910–1988) | 14 January 1965 | 30 June 1969 | 4 years, 167 days | Republic of China Army | | Kuomintang | Yen [zh] |
| 10 | | Huang Chieh (黃杰) (1902–1995) | 1 July 1969 | 31 May 1972 | 2 years, 335 days | Republic of China Army | | Kuomintang | Yen [zh] Chiang [zh] |
| 11 | | Chen Ta-ching (陳大慶) (1904–1973) | 1 June 1972 | 30 June 1973 | 1 year, 29 days | Republic of China Army | | Kuomintang | Chiang [zh] |
| 12 | | Kao Kuei-yuan [zh] (高魁元) (1907–2012) | 1 July 1973 | 19 November 1981 | 8 years, 141 days | Republic of China Army | | Kuomintang | Chiang [zh] Sun Y. [zh] |
| 13 | | Song Chang-chih [zh] (宋長志) (1916–2002) | 1 December 1981 | 30 June 1986 | 4 years, 211 days | Republic of China Navy | | Kuomintang | Sun Y. [zh] Yu [zh] |
| 14 | | Wang Daoyuan [zh] (汪道淵) (1913–2011) | 1 July 1986 | 28 April 1987 | 301 days | Civilian | | Kuomintang | Yu [zh] |
| 15 | | Cheng Wei-yuan (鄭為元) (1913–1993) | 29 April 1987 | 4 December 1989 | 2 years, 219 days | Republic of China Army | | Kuomintang | Yu [zh] Lee [zh] |
| 16 | | Hau Pei-tsun (郝柏村) (1919–2020) | 5 December 1989 | 31 May 1991 | 1 year, 177 days | Republic of China Army | | Kuomintang | Lee [zh] |
| 17 | | Chen Li-an (陳履安) (born 1937) | 1 June 1991 | 26 February 1993 | 1 year, 270 days | Civilian | | Kuomintang | Hau [zh] |
| 18 | | Sun Chen [zh] (孫震) (born 1934) | 27 February 1993 | 15 December 1994 | 1 year, 291 days | Civilian | | Kuomintang | Lien [zh] |
| 19 | | Chiang Chung-ling (蔣仲苓) (1922–2015) | 16 December 1994 | 31 January 1999 | 4 years, 46 days | Republic of China Army | | Kuomintang | Lien [zh] Siew [zh] |
| 20 | | Tang Fei (唐飛) (born 1932) | 1 February 1999 | 19 May 2000 | 1 year, 108 days | Republic of China Air Force | | Kuomintang | Siew [zh] |
| 21 | | Wu Shih-wen (伍世文) (born 1934) | 20 May 2000 | 31 January 2002 | 1 year, 256 days | Republic of China Navy | | Kuomintang | T. Fei [zh] C. H. Chang I [zh] |
| 22 | | Tang Yao-ming (湯曜明) (1938–2021) | 1 February 2002 | 19 May 2004 | 2 years, 108 days | Republic of China Army | | Kuomintang | Yu [zh] |
| 23 | | Lee Jye (李傑) (born 1940) | 20 May 2004 | 19 May 2007 | 2 years, 108 days | Republic of China Navy | | Independent | Yu [zh] Hsieh [zh] Su I |
| 24 | | Lee Tien-yu (李天羽) (1946–2024) | 20 May 2007 | 24 February 2008 | 280 days | Republic of China Air Force | | Kuomintang | Su I C. H. Chang II [zh] |
| 25 | | Michael Tsai (蔡明憲) (born 1941) | 25 February 2008 | 19 May 2008 | 84 days | Civilian | | Democratic Progressive Party | C. H. Chang II [zh] |
| 26 | | Chen Chao-min (陳肇敏) (born 1940) | 20 May 2008 | 9 September 2009 | 1 year, 112 days | Republic of China Air Force | | Kuomintang | Liu [zh] |
| 27 | | Kao Hua-chu (高華柱) (born 1946) | 10 September 2009 | 31 July 2013 | 3 years, 324 days | Republic of China Army | | Kuomintang | Wu [zh] S. Chen [zh] Jiang [zh] |
| 28 | | Andrew Yang (楊念祖) (born 1946) | 1 August 2013 | 7 August 2013 | 6 days | Civilian | | Kuomintang | Jiang [zh] |
| 29 | | Yen Ming (嚴明) (born 1949) | 8 August 2013 | 30 January 2015 | 1 year, 175 days | Republic of China Air Force | | Kuomintang | Jiang [zh] Mao [zh] |
| 30 | | Kao Kuang-chi (高廣圻) (born 1950) | 31 January 2015 | 19 May 2016 | 1 year, 109 days | Republic of China Navy | | Kuomintang | Mao [zh] S. Chang |
| 31 | | Feng Shih-kuan (馮世寬) (born 1945) | 20 May 2016 | 26 February 2018 | 1 year, 282 days | Republic of China Air Force | | Independent | Lin Lai |
| 32 | | Yen Teh-fa (嚴德發) (born 1952) | 26 February 2018 | 23 February 2021 | 2 years, 363 days | Republic of China Army | | Independent | Lai Su II |
| 33 | | Chiu Kuo-cheng (邱國正) (born 1953) | 23 February 2021 | 20 May 2024 | 3 years, 87 days | Republic of China Army | | Independent | Su II Chen Chien-jen |
| 34 | | Wellington Koo (顧立雄) (born 1958) | 20 May 2024 | Incumbent | 206 days | Civilian | | Democratic Progressive Party | Cho |