Lee Hsi-ming

Lee Hsi-min (or Hsi-min, ; born 24 June 1955) is a retired Taiwanese admiral who was the Chief of the General Staff of the Republic of China Armed Forces from 2017 to 2019. He is currently an adjunct professor at National Chengchi University and a non-resident senior research fellow of the Institute for Indo-Pacific Security. He was previously also Taiwan's vice minister of national defense for policy from 2016 to 2017 and the commander of the Republic of China Navy from 2015 to 2016.

Lee was commissioned from the Republic of China Naval Academy in 1977 and became a career submarine officer. During the 1990s he was the commander of one of the Chien Lung-class submarines that Taiwan had received from the Netherlands. Lee was deployed during the Third Taiwan Strait Crisis in 1996 for potential action against the People's Liberation Army Navy. As Chief of the General Staff during the presidency of Tsai Ing-wen, he became known for introducing the Overall Defense Concept (ODC) as a plan to the reform the armed forces to counter the People's Liberation Army through asymmetric warfare. Since his retirement from the military, Lee has continued to advocate for the reform and strengthening of Taiwan's defenses.

Early life and education Lee Hsi-ming was born on 24 June 1955.

Military career Lee became a submarine officer in the Republic of China Navy. and was its third commander to have submarine experience. In 2016, he became the Vice Minister of National Defense (Policy), and was the first commissioned officer to hold the position. As the CGS, Lee became known for introducing the Overall Defense Concept (ODC) in 2018, In December 2018 which was worth about US$1.1 billion.

Lee coordinated the policy of carrying out the Overall Defense Concept and improving military exercises and the preparedness of joint operations. In June 2019, Lee was awarded the Order of the Cloud and Banner with Special Grand Cordon for his contributions to national defense. Lee retired on 1 July 2019, after 42 years of service in the Republic of China Navy. One of the examples is in his book, (臺灣的勝算：以小制大的不對稱戰略，全臺灣人都應了解的整體防衛構想), written in 2022. In 2025 an updated and abridged version, translated into English, was published under the title Defending Our Island Home.

He became a non-resident senior research fellow at the Institute for Indo-Pacific Security, formerly the Project 2049 Institute, in the United States. Since August 2022, he has been an adjunct professor in the PhD program at National Chengchi University, specializing in Asia-Pacific security and Taiwan's defense.

Personal life Lee is married.

Honors Taiwan:

Works 2009, "如何正確運用電腦兵棋系統". (海軍學術雙月刊), 43(5), 38-42. 2020, "Taiwan’s Overall Defense Concept, Explained." The Diplomat. 2021, "The threat of China invading Taiwan is growing every day. What the U.S. can do to stop it." NBC News. 2021. Hoover Institute, Stanford University, California, United States. 2022, "Xi Jinping may attack Taiwan to secure his legacy, warn Admiral Lee Hsi-min and Eric Lee." The Economist.

2023, "Taiwan Must Make Up for Lost Time." Foreign Policy. Defending Our Island Home: An Asymmetric Approach to Taiwan's Defense (2025)