Taiwan submarine project chief quits, ministry says plans to proceed

CSBC, TAIWAN

17/04/2024 03:51

TAIPEI, April 17 (Reuters) - Taiwan's homegrown
submarine programme will remain on track, the defence minister
said on Wednesday, after the head of the programme resigned due
to what he said were unfair attacks against him and the
military. 
    Taiwan, which China views as its own territory, has made the
submarine programme a key part of an ambitious project to
modernise its armed forces as Beijing stages almost daily
military exercises to assert sovereignty claims Taipei rejects.
    Taiwan unveiled the first of eight new submarines in late
September, though it won't enter service until next year. The
programme has drawn on expertise and technology from several
countries - a breakthrough for diplomatically isolated Taiwan.
    In a statement late on Tuesday, Huang Shu-kuang said he had
resigned as head of the submarine project as he and the
programme had been subjected to unfair attacks from people he
did not name.
    Huang told Reuters that the submarine task force, which
includes the navy and shipbuilder CSBC Corp  2208.TW , will
continue to operate despite his departure. 
    "It's impossible that the team will be dismissed due to one
man's departure," he said.
    Defence Minister Chiu Kuo-cheng told reporters on Wednesday
that Huang was a "conscientious" person but added: "The members
of the task force are all on active duty and can work for a long
time. It will not change due to a single personnel change."
    Huang has previously described the submarines as a
"strategic deterrent" that can also help maintain the island's
"lifeline" to the Pacific by keeping ports along Taiwan's
eastern coast open.
    Taiwan hopes to deploy at least two such domestically
developed submarines by 2027, and possibly equip later models
with submarine-launched anti-ship missiles.
    ($1 = 32.4840 Taiwan dollars)

 (Reporting by Ben Blanchard and Yimou Lee; editing by Miral
Fahmy)
 ((ben.blanchard@thomsonreuters.com;))