Chen Yeong-kang

Chen Yeong-kang , 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.

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.

Commander of the Navy He was the commander of the Republic of China Navy (ROCN) from 1 August 2013, succeeding Admiral Tung Hsiang-lung. The ROCN also would invest US$450 million in the China Shipbuilding Corporation and the Ship and Ocean Industries R&D Center.

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.

Chen relinquished command to Admiral Lee Hsi-ming on 31 January 2015, and retired after over 40 years of service in the Republic of China Navy. making him the top civilian advisor to the minister. 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."

After leaving the government, he became a board member of Taiwan's top defense research institute. 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. 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.

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.