TAIWAN STARTS CONSTRUCTION OF 8 NEW SUBMARINES

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen vowed to defend the democratic island’s sovereignty with the construction of a new fleet of domestically-developed submarines, a key project supported by the United States to counter neighboring China.

Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has been for years working to revamp its submarine force, some of which date back to World War II, and is no match for China’s fleet, which includes vessels capable of launching nuclear weapons, Ann Wang reported for Reuters.

At a ceremony to mark the start of construction of a new submarine fleet in the southern port city of Kaohsiung, Tsai called the move a “historic milestone” for Taiwan’s defensive capabilities after overcoming “various challenges and doubts.” She added: “The construction demonstrates Taiwan’s strong will to the world to protect its sovereignty.”

Attending the rites was the de facto US ambassador in Taiwan, Brent Christensen. “Submarines are important equipment for the development of Taiwan’s navy’s asymmetric warfare capabilities and to deter enemy ships from encircling Taiwan,” Tsai argued.

In 2018, the US government gave the green light for US manufacturers to participate in the program, a move widely seen as helping Taiwan secure major components, though it is unclear which U.S. companies are involved. State-backed CSBC Corporation Taiwan said it would deliver the first of the eight planned submarines in 2025, giving a major boost to Tsai’s military modernization and self-sufficiency plan.