Republic of China Military Police

Republic of China Military Police
Republic of China Military Police
中華民國憲兵
	Emblem of the Republic of China Military Police
Founded	1914
Country	Republic of China (Taiwan)
Branch	Military police
Size	16,000 (2004 est.); 5,502 (2020 est.)
Part of	National Revolutionary Army (1924-1946); Republic of China Armed Forces (since 1946)
Garrison/HQ	Taipei, Taiwan
Anniversaries	12 December
Engagements	Northern Expedition; Xi'an Incident; Second Sino-Japanese War; Chinese Civil War;
Commanders
Current; commander	Lieutenant-General Mo You Ming
Insignia
Flag
Emblem used

The Republic of China Military Police (ROCMP; Chinese: 中華民國憲兵) is a military police force operating under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of National Defense of Republic of China (Taiwan). Unlike military police organisations in many other countries, the ROCMP functions as a distinct branch of the Republic of China Armed Forces.

The ROCMP is tasked with the protection of senior government leaders against assassination or capture, the guarding of Taiwan’s critical infrastructure and strategic facilities, and the conduct of counterintelligence operations aimed at identifying and neutralising enemy infiltrators, spies, and saboteurs.^[2]

Etymology

Among the Taiwanese population, as well as overseas Chinese communities supportive of Taiwan or the Republic of China (ROC), the Republic of China Military Police is commonly referred to simply as the Military Police (ROCMP; Chinese: 憲兵).^[3]

In Western media, references have varied by historical context. During the mainland era (prior to 1949), the ROCMP was often referred to as the Chinese Military Police. In more recent times, particularly when referring to the ROCMP’s activities in Taiwan, it has been informally called the Taiwanese Military Police.^[4]

Within mainland China, during the period when the ROC governed the mainland, pro-communist media commonly referred to the ROCMP as the Military Police of the Kuomintang (Chinese: 国民党宪兵). In the modern era, references to the ROCMP are rare in official mainland Chinese discourse.^[5]

History

Warlord Era

The origins of the Republic of China Military Police (ROCMP) date back to 1914, when the provisional president of the Republic of China, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, established an internal security unit in Canton to enforce military discipline among troops loyal to the Provisional Government. This unit was later renamed the Military Police and gradually expanded into the present-day ROC Military Police.

In 1923, Sun Yat-sen formally created the Military Police (Chinese: 憲兵) unit within his Canton headquarters. The establishment of a dedicated Military Police branch accelerated in 1925 under General Chiang Kai-shek, who expanded the force from a single company to a full battalion, combining personnel from the third class of the Whampoa Military Academy and select security trainees. That same year, Chiang also established the Military Police Training Centre (Chinese: 憲兵訓練所) in Canton.^[6]

In 1926, as the Northern Expedition began, the Military Police were expanded into a full regiment and attached to the expeditionary forces. The first local Military Police detachments were also formed in Dong River (China) under the National Revolutionary Army First Corps, commanded by Ho Ying-chin.

Following the Nationalists' successful Northern Expedition in 1928, Military Police forces were consolidated into the 1st and 2nd Regiments, stationed in Nanking, now the new Nationalist capital. On 16 January 1932, the Military Police Command Headquarters (Chinese: 憲兵司令部) was formally established at 126 Zhanyuan Road, Nanjing, through the merger of the Capital Garrison Headquarters and the Military Police Department of the National Commander-in-Chief’s Office. Lieutenant General Ku Cheng-Lun (Chinese: 谷正倫) was appointed as the first Commander of the Military Police.^[7]

Throughout the late 1920s and 1930s, the Military Police expanded rapidly, establishing additional regiments and specialised units. They were increasingly tasked with internal security operations, including anti-communist suppression campaigns.

Xi'an Incident

On 12 December 1936, while accompanying Chiang Kai-shek on an inspection trip to Sian, members of the Military Police clashed with Chang Hsueh-liang's elite bodyguards during an attempted arrest of the Generalissimo. Caught off guard and outnumbered, the Military Police were quickly overwhelmed, leading to the detention of Chiang and his entourage in what became known as the Sian Incident. More than one hundred Military Police personnel were killed or wounded during the skirmish. To honour their sacrifice, Chiang Kai-shek designated 12 December as "Military Police Memorial Day". Although no longer officially observed by the Republic of China government, the day remains internally commemorated by the Military Police.^[8]

Second Sino-Japanese War

During the Second Sino-Japanese War, the Military Police were often thrust into frontline combat roles for which they were neither specifically trained nor equipped. They fought fiercely during events such as the January 28 Incident of 1932 and the Battle of Nanking in 1937, suffering heavy casualties.

During the Battle of Nanking in December 1937, the 2nd Military Police Instruction Regiment (Chinese: 憲兵教導第二團) fought bravely against Japanese forces and was almost entirely wiped out. Deputy Commander of the Military Police Command, Hsiao Shan-Ling (Chinese: 蕭山令)^[9], was killed in action. Japanese accounts later revealed that captured Chinese Nationalist Military Police personnel, identifiable by their white armbands, were frequently summarily executed—a practice similar to that of the Wehrmacht’s treatment of Soviet political commissars during the Second World War. Meanwhile, members of the 2nd Special Police Unit (Chinese: 特警第二隊), operating behind enemy lines, were betrayed by collaborators, resulting in the deaths of Tu Ching-Po (Chinese: 杜靜波) and over a dozen other military police members.^[10]

In addition to frontline duties, the Military Police played a major role in operations behind Japanese lines and expanded into intelligence and counterinsurgency roles. They were instrumental in suppressing communist influence within Nationalist territory, including the quelling of an attempted uprising during the New Fourth Army Incident of 1941.^[11]

The Military Police also performed vital security duties towards the end of the war, including escorting Japanese delegates during the formal arrangements for the Surrender of Japan in 1945. By the end of the war, the Military Police had grown to include 27 regiments, three independent battalions, and three training regiments.

From September 1945, the Republic of China dispatched Military Police to Japan as part of the Allied Occupation of Japan. On 14 May 1952, the ROC Military Police detachment stationed in Tokyo, led by Captain Li Chien-Wu (Chinese: 李建武), withdrew from Japan and returned to Taiwan aboard the China Merchants Steam Navigation Company's vessel MV Hai Lung (Chinese: 海隴輪).^[12]

Post-War Mainland Operations

After 1945, the Military Police played a key role in post-war internal security:

In 1946, the 9th and 16th Military Police Regiments were responsible for safeguarding the National Constituent Assembly in Nanjing.
In 1947, the 4th and 21st Regiments were deployed to Taiwan to suppress the February 28 Incident.
In the same year, tensions between military police and municipal police in Shanghai erupted into the July 27 Shanghai Police-Military Police Incident (Chinese: 上海警憲衝突), resulting in bloodshed and a general strike within the city’s police force.^[13]
In 1948, the Military Police continued to provide security during the convening of the First National Assembly.

As the Chinese Civil War intensified, the Military Police maintained a primarily internal security role, guarding key government facilities and protecting senior political leaders. The 7th Company of the 1st Regiment notably participated in the Battle of Kuningtou in Kinmen in 1949, successfully resisting communist landings.^[14]

Taiwan Period

Following the Nationalist retreat to Taiwan in 1949, the ROCMP was reconstituted. On 1 March 1950, the Southeastern Command Post (Chinese: 憲兵司令部東南指揮所) of the ROC Military Police was reorganised into the Military Police Headquarters (Chinese: 憲兵司令部), on Liangzhou Street, Taipei.^[15]

Officers and troops from the 1st, 3rd, and 18th Military Police Regiments evacuated from mainland China were integrated with the 4th and 8th Regiments already stationed in Taiwan. This reorganisation led to the establishment of new units, including the 1st, 4th, 7th, 8th, and 9th Regiments, as well as a cadre training class, special services battalion, communications unit, military band, and a high-security intelligence group.

During the early 1950s, ROCMP forces were also involved in overseas operations. In 1954, a detachment was deployed to Korea to retrieve and repatriate over 14,000 Chinese anti-communist exiles following the Korean War, an operation commemorated as "123 Freedom Day".^[16]

Throughout the 1950s and 1960s, the Military Police Command expanded. In 1955, it played a central role in the controversial arrest and detention of over 300 former subordinates of General Sun Li-jen during the "Sun Li-jen Incident", part of the wider White Terror political purges.^[17]

In 1970, under the advice of the United States Military Assistance Advisory Group, a major reorganisation took place. Regimental structures were converted into regional commands:

201st Regional Command: Presidential Guard, derived from the 101st MP Regiment.
202nd Regional Command: Capital garrison, from the former 201st MP Regiment.
203rd Regional Command: Based in Miaoli County.
204th Regional Command: Based in Tainan City.

The Military Police School was relocated to Wugu Township (now Wugu District, New Taipei City) in 1975. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, through various Ching An (Chinese: 靖安) projects, the ROCMP expanded further by absorbing special forces and former security battalions, leading to the creation of additional regiments and specialist units, including the Military Police Special Service Company (MPSSC) established in 1977.

The 1980s and 1990s saw ongoing modernisation and rationalisation, including:

Establishment of the Armoured Military Police Battalion (1986).
Transfer of coastal and port security duties to the Coast Guard, with several MP battalions reassigned accordingly (1993–1999).
Full absorption of Air Force security battalions into ROCMP command (2006, under "Project Peace").

In 2013, following restructuring within the Ministry of National Defence, the Military Police Command was renamed the Ministry of National Defence General Staff Headquarters - Military Police Command (Chinese: 國防部參謀本部憲兵指揮部). Area commands such as the 203rd–205th saw command ranks adjusted. And from 2021, the Command post became renamed as the Ministry of National Defence - Military Police Command (Chinese: 國防部憲兵指揮部)), with its commander maintaining lieutenant general rank.

The ROCMP also underwent further streamlining:

In 2014, the Military Police School was renamed the Military Police Training Centre.
In 2016, the "White Terror" concerns were reignited following an illegal search operation in Taipei conducted by the 202nd Command under the Political Warfare Bureau’s directives, leading to widespread public outrage and subsequent disciplinary action against senior officers.
In 2021, with reforms under the National Defence Act amendments, the ROCMP was directly subordinated to the Ministry of National Defence.

Most recently, in 2024, new battalions (261st–264th) were established to reinforce the defence of Taipei, each battalion comprising five companies and approximately 673 personnel per unit, significantly bolstering the capital’s wartime and peacetime security posture.^[18]

Functions

Functions

According to the 2006 National Defense Report, the Republic of China Military Police (ROCMP) is tasked with the following responsibilities:

Military Functions
1. Conducting special security duties, including presidential protection.
2. Undertaking counter-terrorism operations.
3. Providing garrison security.
4. Enforcing military discipline.
5. Supporting broader military operations.
Supportive Functions in Civilian Affairs
1. Executing military justice and law enforcement missions.
2. Maintaining public security.
3. Providing effective support for regional disaster prevention and response efforts.
4. Contributing to the maintenance of social stability and national security.

Military

The Republic of China Military Police (ROCMP) is responsible for enforcing military law, maintaining military discipline, and providing manpower support to the civilian police force. In times of emergency, ROCMP units are tasked with performing combat duties. They are also responsible for securing key government facilities, including the Presidential Office Building, and for conducting counter-terrorism operations and VIP protection missions. Furthermore, the ROCMP plays a crucial role in the defence of Taipei, the capital city and political and financial centre of the Republic of China.

Intelligence

Due to historical and traditional factors, the Republic of China Military Police (ROCMP) continues to undertake intelligence missions across six categories of security investigations:

Special services related to presidential security and protection
Political investigations
Military investigations
Criminal investigations
Foreign affairs
Social order

These investigations are primarily conducted by regional investigation groups, the Mobile Investigation Group, and their superior body, the Intelligence Division of the Military Police Command. Although covering a broad range of areas, the primary focus remains on special services for presidential security and protection, with the practical objective of meeting the requirements of the Commander-in-Chief, the President of the Republic of China. In carrying out its intelligence activities, the ROCMP operates under the supervision and coordination of the National Security Bureau within the National Security Council.

Law Enforcement

Under Clause 2, Section 1 of Articles 229, 230, and 231 of the Criminal Procedure Code of the ROC, commissioned officers, non-commissioned officers, and enlisted personnel of the Military Police Corps are authorised to assist public prosecutors, or to act under their command, in the investigation of criminal activities. In effect, the ROC Criminal Procedure Code grants judicial police authority to Security Military Police units within regional Military Police commands, placing them in a similar role to civilian police forces when conducting criminal investigations.

Prior to the establishment and expansion of specialised mobile police forces in the ROC, Military Police units served as the principal force responsible for suppressing serious criminal activities, violent incidents, and frequent societal unrest or riots. Even today, Military Police personnel continue to collaborate closely with district public prosecutor offices, playing a key role in maintaining law and order across Taiwanese society.

Due to the frequent rotation of military personnel and the system of conscription in Taiwan, regional Military Police units typically maintain fewer close ties to local communities compared to civilian police departments. Furthermore, unlike local police, Military Police units are not administratively accountable to elected local officials. In cases involving sensitive issues such as prostitution or human trafficking, Military Police are often preferred by public prosecutors at all levels, as their operations are perceived to result in less information leakage and reduced political interference.

In fugitive recovery operations, public prosecutors occasionally mobilise Military Police forces to conduct large-scale search and arrest missions. Their ability to deploy disciplined, sizeable, and relatively independent manpower makes them an effective tool for handling major security challenges.

Organisation