The Navy of the Republic of China: History, Problems, and Prospects,

In twenty seven years of exile, the government of the Republic of China on Taiwan has never relinquished its claim to be the de jure government of all of China. But in the same period of time, it has adapted well to life in a changed environment. Land-mindedness has given way to sea-mindedness. With a substantial investment in fisheries, and 47 million tons of shipborne exports passing through its two major commercial ports annually, Taiwans economy is absolutely dependent upon the sea for survival. It is in this context that the navy of the Republic of China has come to play a central role in defense matters which it never played when the Republic governed the mainland. As the economy has grown and developed, at first with American help but for the last decade without it, so has the navy. Although it remains, at roughly 35,000 men, the smallest of the military services, and its development has not been the number one military priority first priority goes to the Air Force, the navys capabilities have increased substantially in the past ten years, as it has come to bear increasing responsibility for the seaward defense of Taiwan. This paper looks at the navys responsibilities the composition of the fleet tasked to carry them out the service and support infrastructure the organization of command and control personnel policies operational strengths and weaknesses and possible future trends in naval development.