Taiwan to build 8 submarines under indigenous shipbuilding project

CSBC, TAIWAN

05/04/2017 05:33

TAIPEI, April 5 (Reuters) - Taiwan plans to build eight 
submarines to bolster its current fleet of four ageing 
foreign-built vessels, a senior Taiwanese navy official said on 
Wednesday. 
    "In our indigenous submarine project, we hope to be able to 
make eight submarines," Lee Tsung-hsiao, navy chief of staff, 
told lawmakers, confirming publicly for the first time the 
number of vessels being planned.  
    Cheng Wen-lon, chairman of state-controlled shipbuilder CSBC 
Corp Taiwan  2208.TW , which has been contracted to build the 
submarines, also told lawmakers that the initial design will be 
fully completed by early 2018. 
    Military and defence industry officials in Taiwan have said 
the first submarine is expected to go into operation within 10 
years.  
    Lee's comments come ahead of the first meeting between 
leaders of the United States and China this week that Taipei has 
fretted could harm its interest.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N1GX2KV 
    China regards democratic Taiwan part of its territory and 
has never renounced the use of force to take control of what it 
sees as a wayward province.  
    The United States is obligated by U.S. law to help Taiwan 
defend itself, but its arms sales to Taiwan angers Beijing and 
has slowed down the pace of sales, defence experts said. 
 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL2N1GT29M 
    Taiwan and the United States, its sole arms supplier, are 
currently engaged in fresh arms sales talks. 
    Last month, Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen vowed that her 
administration would see through the indigenous submarine 
programme as she toured one of the navy's four aging submarines, 
purchased from the United States and Netherlands at least 30 
years ago.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N1GY27G 
    Taiwan has never built a submarine before and will need to 
rely on foreign technology support to make an advanced vessel, 
defence experts have said.  
    Taiwan's submarine project is in the middle of a four-year 
design contract phase budgeted at T$3 billion ($98.69 
million)that began in 2016.  
     
($1 = 30.3980 Taiwan dollars) 
 
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Graphic on Asia-Pacific military strength    http://tmsnrt.rs/29v50KM 
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 (Reporting by J.R. Wu; Editing by Michael Perry) 
 ((jr.wu@thomsonreuters.com; +886 2 2500 4881; Reuters 
Messaging: jr.wu.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net)) 
 
Keywords: TAIWAN DEFENCE/