General Chen Pao-yu (; born 1958) is a

Republic of China Army The Republic of China Army (ROCA), previously known as the Chinese Nationalist Army or Nationalist Revolutionary Army and unofficially as the Taiwanese Army, is the largest branch of the Republic of China Armed Forces. An estimated 80% of th ...

General who currently serves as the

Chief of the General Staff The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is a post in many armed forces ( militaries), the head of the military staff. List * Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (United States) * Chief of the General Staff (Abkhazia) * Chief of General Staff ( ...

of the

Republic of China Armed Forces The Republic of China Armed Forces (ROC Armed Forces) are the armed forces of the Taiwan, Republic of China (ROC), Republic of China (1912–1949), once based in mainland China and currently in its Free area of the Republic of China, remainin ...

. Prior to his appointment, Chief of the Army Staff Taiwan from April 2019 to July 2021 and served as the Vice Chief (Executive) of the General Staff in April 2017 to 2019.

Early life and education

Born in Lienchiang County, Fujian Province, ROC, Chen graduated from Chinese Military Academy in 1980 (Class 69) and also attended the Infantry Captain course at the Army Command and Staff Course Class of 1994 (Class 83) and completed the Taiwan War College War Academy Class of 1999 (Class of 88). He also attended in various courses and received degrees from universities and military academies locally and abroad.

Military Background

After graduating in the military academy in 1980, Chen held various posts in the Army and in the Armed Forces. He held various posts in the 129th Brigade, before leading various units such as the 295th Brigade, and also served as the Head of Army S3, the army's operations and planning division. Chen also served at the Combat Readiness Training Division, as the Deputy Commanding General 6th Army Corps in the country's northern areas, and as the Commanding General of Hua-Tung Defense Command in the country's southern areas. Chen also served as the Head of J3, the Office of the Deputy Chief of Operations and Planning Staff, the Chief of War Training Division at the Army Headquarters, and as the Commanding General of the 10th Army Corps in Central Taiwan. In November 2017, he, along with other Navy and Defense Ministry officials was questioned by Tseng Ming-chung, along with other legislators of the

Legislative Yuan The Legislative Yuan is the unicameral legislature of the Republic of China (Taiwan) located in Taipei. The Legislative Yuan is composed of 113 members, who are directly elected for 4-year terms by people of the Taiwan Area through a parallel ...

, regarding the Qingfu mine hunting case, a scandal involving US company Lockheed Martin and Italian firm

Intermarine S.p.A. Intermarine is an Italian shipbuilding company, owned by the Rodriquez Cantieri Navali Group. Company Founded in 1970, Intermarine has specialized in building boats and ships with fibre-reinforced plastic hulls. In September 2002, the company wa ...

on the acquisition of six mine countermeasure vessels for the

Republic of China Navy The Republic of China Navy (ROCN; ), also called the ROC Navy and colloquially the Taiwan Navy, is the maritime branch of the Republic of China Armed Forces (ROCAF). The service was formerly commonly just called the Chinese Navy during World W ...

for an undisclosed amount. In the aftermath of the

2018 Hualien earthquake At 23:50 (UTC+8) on 6 February 2018, an earthquake of magnitude 6.4 on the moment magnitude scale hit Taiwan. The epicenter was on the coastline near Hualien, which was the most severely affected area, with a maximum felt intensity of VIII (''S ...

, Chen served as the overall commander of overall humanitarian operations and assistance missions. Chen was named as the Vice Chief (Executive) of the General Staff of the Republic of China Armed Forces from 28 April 2017 to 1 April 2019, replacing Admiral Pu Tze-chun, where he was instrumental in the army's reforms to counter the

People's Liberation Army The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the principal military force of the People's Republic of China and the armed wing of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The PLA consists of five service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, ...

's offensive strategies in times of war, as he launched the improvement of scientific training methods in order to improve soldiers' overall physical fitness, strengths and capabilities. On 1 April 2019, Chen served as the Commander of the Army, replacing General Wang Shin-lung. He served his position until July 2021, as Chen succeeded Huang Shu-kuang as

on 1 July 2021, making him the first general from the

Matsu Islands The Matsu Islands ( or , ; Foochow Romanized: Mā-cū liĕk-dō̤), officially Lienchiang County (, ; Foochow Romanized: Lièng-gŏng-gâing), are an archipelago of 36 islands and islets in the East China Sea governed by the Republic of Chi ...

to be named as the Chief of the General Staff.

Awards from military service

Order of the Sacred Tripod The Order of the Sacred Tripod (寶鼎勳章), also referred to as the Order of the Precious Tripod or Pao Ting, is a military award of the Republic of China. It was created on 15 May 1929 by Chiang Kai-shek for significant contributions to nation ...

with Special Cravat *

Order of the Cloud and Banner The Order of the Cloud and Banner () also known as the Order of the Resplendent Banner is a military award of the Republic of China. It was instituted on June 15, 1935 and is awarded in nine grades for contributions to national security. The insig ...

with Special Cravat *

2 Order of Loyalty and Diligence medals *

Medal of the Brilliant Light, A-Second Class *

Medal of Victorious Garrison, A-First Class ribbon *

Medal of Army Brilliance, A Class *

Medal of Outstanding Service, A Class *

Medal of Outstanding Staff, A Class ribbon

4 Ribbons, Medal of Outstanding Staff, A Class *

Medal of Army Achievement, A Class ribbon

4 Ribbons, Medal of Army Achievement, A Class

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pao-Yu, Chen 1958 births Living people Republic of China Army generals People from Lienchiang County