| Kao Hua-chu | |
| Native Name: | Chinese: 高華柱 |
| Nationality: | Republic of China |
| Office1: | 18th Secretary-General of the National Security Council of the Republic of China |
| President1: | Ma Ying-jeou |
| Term Start1: | 12 February 2015[1] |
| Term End1: | 20 May 2016 |
| Predecessor1: | King Pu-tsung |
| Successor1: | Joseph Wu |
| Office2: | 28th Minister of National Defense of the Republic of China |
| Deputy2: | Chang Liang-jen, Chao Shih-chang Andrew Yang,[2] Chao Shih-chang[3] Andrew Yang, Kao Kuang-chi[4] |
| Term Start2: | 9 September 2009 |
| Term End2: | 31 July 2013[5] |
| Predecessor2: | Chen Chao-min |
| Successor2: | Andrew Yang |
| Office3: | 10th & 12th Minister of the Veterans Affairs Commission of the Republic of China |
| Term Start3: | 20 May 2008 |
| Term End3: | 10 September 2009 |
| Predecessor3: | Hu Chen-pu |
| Successor3: | Tseng Jing-ling |
| Term Start4: | 20 May 2004 |
| Term End4: | 9 February 2007 |
| Predecessor4: | Teng Tsu-lin |
| Successor4: | Hu Chen-pu |
| Office5: | 2nd Commander of the Republic of China Combined Logistics Forces |
| Term Start5: | 1 February 2003 |
| Term End5: | 19 May 2004 |
| Predecessor5: | Hsieh Chien-tung |
| Successor5: | Tai Po-teh |
| Birth Date: | 2 October 1946[6] |
| Birth Place: | Jimo, Shantung, Republic of China |
| Party: | Kuomintang |
| Alma Mater: | Republic of China Military Academy Republic of China Army Infantry School National Defense University |
| Allegiance: | Republic of China |
| Branch: | Republic of China Army |
| Serviceyears: | 1967-2004 |
| Rank: | General |
| Battles: | Third Taiwan Strait Crisis |
Kao Hua-chu (; born 2 October 1946) is a retired Republic of China Army general and the incumbent Secretary-General of the National Security Council of the Republic of China. He was the Minister of National Defense that appointed to the post by then Premier-designate Wu Den-yih on 9 September 2009.[7] On 29 July 2013, Kao resigned from his post due to the death scandal of Corporal Hung Chung-chiu of the Republic of China Army during his conscription on 4 July 2013.[8]
In 1974, Kao was involved in a helicopter crash in Taoyuan County (now Taoyuan City) with his colleagues, including Yu Hao-chang, the then-Commanding General of Army Command Headquarters. The accident involved two UH-1H helicopters crashed due to bad weather. It killed than 20 people and seriously injuring Kao, yet he still managed to carry Yu on his back while looking for help.[9]
A month after Typhoon Morakot brought the worst flooding and mudslides to Taiwan in 50 years, Kao was appointed as the leading deputy executive officer of the Morakot Post-Disaster Reconstruction Council of the Executive Yuan.[10]
See main article: article and 2013 North Korean crisis. Amidst the ongoing 2013 North Korean crisis, in mid April 2013 Kao said that the ROC Armed Forces is capable of intercepting missiles from North Korea and it doesn't pose any threat to Taiwan because the chance for Taiwan to be accidentally hit by the missiles is low. He further added that long-range radar installation in Hsinchu County could always detect any incoming missiles fired by North Korea before.[11]
Kao said that once ROC two outlying islands Dadan Island and Erdan Island have been demilitarized and are open to public within three years, he hoped that the Coast Guard Administration and other law enforcement agencies can take over the security for both islands. Currently those two islands are off to public due to its extremely close proximity (7 nautical miles) to PRC area, the coast of Xiamen.[12]
See main article: article and 2013 Guang Da Xing No. 28 incident.
See also: Armed Forces of the Philippines.
After the shooting incident of Taiwanese fisherman by Philippine government vessel on 9 May 2013 at the disputed water in South China Sea, on May 11, 2013, Kao held a meeting with ROC President Ma Ying-jeou and ROC Minister of Foreign Affairs David Lin at the Presidential Office Building in Taipei in which the ROC government gave 72 hours for the Philippine government to give formal apology and bring those responsible for the shooting to justice, if not Taiwan will freeze Philippine worker applications, recall ROC representative to the Philippines back to Taiwan and ask the Philippine representative in Taiwan back to the Philippines.[13]
After the two incident involving two of ROC Air Force fighter aircraft in mid of May 2013 within five days apart involving an F-16 and Mirage 2000-5, Kao apologized to the public but asking their support for the moral of the pilots involved in the incident. He assured the public that all remaining aircraft in duty are all in good condition, and that the two crashes didn't compromise Taiwan's air defense.[14]
See main article: article and Ma-Xi Meeting. The ROC Presidential Office stated that the intention of President Ma for this meeting is to consolidate peace and maintain the status quo. President Ma will be joined by Presidential Office Secretary-General Tseng Yung-chuan and Deputy Secretary-General Hsiao Hsu-tsen (蕭旭岑), National Security Council Secretary-General Kao Hua-chu and advisor Chiu Kun-Shuan, MAC Minister Andrew Hsia and Deputy Minister Wu Mei-hung.[15]