Taipei [Taiwan], September 28 (ANI): Taiwan on Thursday unveiled its first-ever domestically constructed submarine. The island democracy’s chief hailed the accomplishment as a major milestone as Taipei works to spice up its army deterrence within the face of rising risk from Beijing, CNN reported.
Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen presided over a ceremony on the submarine’s shipyard in southern Kaohsiung City the place the diesel-electric vessel was formally named “Narwhal” in English and “Hai Kun” in Mandarin – which may be loosely translated as “sea monster”.
“The submarine is an important realization of our concrete commitment to defending our country. It is also important equipment for our naval forces in developing asymmetric warfare strategies,” Tsai stated.
“In the past, many people thought building an indigenous submarine would be an impossible task. But we have made it,” she added, as per CNN.
The ceremony was a major private second for Tsai, who launched a flagship defence coverage to construct the primary home submarine shortly after taking workplace in 2016.
Taiwanese defence chiefs hope the submarines would assist to make it far tougher for a possible invasion by China, which claims the island as its territory and has ramped up its sabre-rattling in recent times.
Journalists got a tour contained in the submarine’s shipyard however weren’t allowed to take close-up photographs for safety causes.
Details concerning the ship’s measurement or functionality had been additionally not disclosed through the ceremony, which was additionally attended by Sandra Oudkirk, Washington’s de facto ambassador to Taiwan, in addition to the representatives from the Japanese and South Korean missions in Taipei.
Tsai stated the indigenous submarine challenge was”a top priority” of her administration, as per CNN. (ANI)