2023-09-29 12:45:00
GEOPOLITICS – One “historic day” for Taipei, a “stupid nonsense” for Beijing. Taiwan unveiled its first domestically produced military submarine on Thursday September 28, 2023. Named “Hai Kun” (mythical marine creature in Chinese, editor’s note), the building, whose construction began in 2020, cost $1.5 billion and would be operational by 2025. The island state, which faces to an increasingly persistent Chinese threat, intends to strengthen its defense and equip itself with means of persuasion. For China, Taiwan has good “buy or make” military equipment, nothing is going well “prevent the general trend towards national reunification”.
Taipei has been trying for many decades to acquire submarines and renew its marine fleet. In vain. The various supplier countries, such as France with its La Fayette frigates, have always been under Chinese pressure to reduce the capacity of equipment or the transfer of technologies. In 2001, the United States, the island’s main arms supplier, agreed to supply eight conventional submarines, but the sale was never honored.
Taiwan currently only has a fleet of around thirty ships and four very aging submarines. The acquisition of two models took place in the 1970s, before the Netherlands equipped Taipei with two more Zwaardvis-class submarines in the 1980s. In 2014, the island state claimed by China decided to launch its own submarine construction program, called “Indigenous Defense Submarine Program”. The plan, to which joined the United States, aims to build eight 1,500-ton submarines in ten years.
“Historic” for Taipei, “stupid nonsense” for Beijing
In 2016, the year in which Tsai Ing-wen, from a party hostile to China, became president, Taiwan hoped build the first prototype for 2024 and put it into service in 2025.
The first domestically produced submarine was finally presented this Thursday, September 28, 2023 during a ceremony organized in the port city of Kaohsiung, in the south of the country. “For a long time, building submarines locally was considered a ‘mission impossible.’ But today, a submersible designed and built by our own people is in front of everyone – we did it”welcomed Tsai Ing-wen.
Named “Hai Kun”, the building measures 80 meters and weighs 2,500 to 3,000 tonnes when moving. Its construction began in 2020, costing $1.5 billion. Its equipment comes from the United States, particularly its defense and security company Lockheed Martin. If construction of the submarine was completed a year ahead of schedule, its commissioning is likely to be maintained for 2025, after operational trials at sea.
“History will always remember this day”, declared the president in front of the ship draped in the colors of the Taiwanese flag.
The presentation with great fanfare of the first Taiwanese-made submarine caused Beijing to react. The Chinese Ministry of Defense has described “stupid nonsense” Taipei’s strategy and its submarine construction program. For Wu Qian, spokesperson for the ministry, “it doesn’t matter how many weapons there are” that Taiwan “build or buy, they cannot prevent the general trend towards national reunification”. Last Monday, the Chinese daily Global Timesclose to the authorities, already described the deployment of Taiwanese submarines as “dream”. “This plan is only an illusion of the island which is trying to resist reunification by force”he said.
Taiwan increases its defense budget
Beijing claims to be the sole legitimate government of China and claims all territories administered by Taiwan, officially called the Republic of China. The island does not have a seat in the United Nations, replaced since 1971 by Beijing following its recognition. On September 21, China called on the UN not to underestimate its “firm will” to recover the island, claiming to prefer a “peaceful reunification”.
To face incessant Chinese pressure, Taiwan has endowed its Defense with a record budget of 19 billion dollars. The goal is to acquire military equipment, particularly from its main ally, the United States. Washington also approved at the end of August a first direct military aid of 80 million dollars. In July, Uncle Sam announcement the transfer of arms worth $345 million directly from American military stocks.
Although the number of submarines held by Taiwan pales in comparison to the 60 vessels owned by China, the world’s largest fleet, researchers say that two submarines “could be enough” to complicate the task for the Chinese navy to cross the strait separating the two countries.
But Chinese incursions aimed at “demoralizing” Taipei are also carried out by air. On September 18, China sent a fleet of 103 military aircraft around the island. One of the most significant incursions ever recorded. Taiwan denounced a “continued military harassment” from Beijing, called to “immediately cease these destructive unilateral actions.”
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