A military expert said China's submarine strategy has been aimed at targeting US aircraft carriers and making it more difficult for the US to use force in Asia, as Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Chairman Joseph Wu (吳釗燮) yesterday called for the international community to pay more attention to the Chinese threat to naval forces in Asia.
During an interpellation session at the Legislative Yuan, Wu said that China's ongoing military build-up indicates that it has ambitions beyond blockading Taiwan.
He said that China's military growth was such that while other nations usually had one shipbuilder making subs, China had three.
"Not only does China have Ming-class, Song-class and Yuan-class submarines, it has also has Type-093 and Type-094 nuclear-powered attack submarines," Wu said.
He noted that China had purchased a total of 12 Kilo-class submarines from Russia.
"China has more than it needs to create a military blockade around Taiwan -- clearly their ambitions aim higher than this," Wu said.
Ou Si-fu (
Ou hinted that China's submarine force has been focused on becoming capable of carrying out an underwater blockade of Taiwan.
China has been developing the capability to deploy its naval forces beyond its coastline, he said.
Beijing has developed submarine-launched ballistic missiles and a nuclear-powered submarine to carry them, he said.
Ou said the PLAN currently possessed one Hsia-class strategic missile-carrying sub, and a new indigenous nuclear-powered 094 submarine is expected to be completed later this year.
A long-rang ballistic missiles on the 094 submarine might be able to reach the US mainland from its underwater base on China's coast, he said.
He said the PLAN has more than 70 submarines. As the PLAN modernizes, it is phasing out its fleet of more than 30 older Romeo-class diesel submarines and replacing them with indigenously produced Ming and Song-class, and the Russian-built Kilo-class subs.
Ou said China has 20 Ming-class submarines, six or seven Soong-class submarines, four Kilo-class submarines and has placed an order for another eight Kilo-class submarines from Russia.
He said US intelligence officials have confirmed that China has produced a new non-nuclear powered attack submarine as the first Yuan-class submarine. He said the Song is the first Chinese submarine equipped with a submerged-launch anti-ship cruise missile.
The Song, Yuan and Kilo subs would provide the next generation in China's conventional submarine technology, he said.
However, Ou said the Kilo-class sub was designed in the late 1970s, and none of the three types are among the most advanced submarines. But he was doubtful the PLAN was capable of countering the more advanced US navy.
He said the PLAN longed to get its hands on the newest generation of Russian-built Lada (or Amur) class subs which will join the Russian navy later this year, but Moscow refused to export the technology to China. He said if the US sends more offensive subs and AGEIS destroyers to East Asia, it will be able to destroy the PLAN's submarine force.
Additional report by Joy Su
‘DENIAL DEFENSE’: The US would increase its military presence with uncrewed ships, and submarines, while boosting defense in the Indo-Pacific, a Pete Hegseth memo said The US is reorienting its military strategy to focus primarily on deterring a potential Chinese invasion of Taiwan, a memo signed by US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth showed. The memo also called on Taiwan to increase its defense spending. The document, known as the “Interim National Defense Strategic Guidance,” was distributed this month and detailed the national defense plans of US President Donald Trump’s administration, an article in the Washington Post said on Saturday. It outlines how the US can prepare for a potential war with China and defend itself from threats in the “near abroad,” including Greenland and the Panama
A magnitude 4.9 earthquake struck off Tainan at 11:47am today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. The hypocenter was 32.3km northeast of Tainan City Hall at a depth of 7.3km, CWA data showed. The intensity of the quake, which gauges the actual effect of a seismic event, measured 4 in Tainan and Chiayi County on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale, the data showed. The quake had an intensity of 3 in Chiayi City and County, and Yunlin County, while it was measured as 2 in Kaohsiung, Nantou County, Changhua County, Taitung County and offshore Penghu County, the data showed. There were no immediate reports of
The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) is maintaining close ties with Beijing, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said yesterday, hours after a new round of Chinese military drills in the Taiwan Strait began. Political parties in a democracy have a responsibility to be loyal to the nation and defend its sovereignty, DPP spokesman Justin Wu (吳崢) told a news conference in Taipei. His comments came hours after Beijing announced via Chinese state media that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command was holding large-scale drills simulating a multi-pronged attack on Taiwan. Contrary to the KMT’s claims that it is staunchly anti-communist, KMT Deputy
RESPONSE: The government would investigate incidents of Taiwanese entertainers in China promoting CCP propaganda online in contravention of the law, the source said Taiwanese entertainers living in China who are found to have contravened cross-strait regulations or collaborated with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) could be subject to fines, a source said on Sunday. Several Taiwanese entertainers have posted on the social media platform Sina Weibo saying that Taiwan “must be returned” to China, and sharing news articles from Chinese state media. In response, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) has asked the Ministry of Culture to investigate whether the entertainers had contravened any laws, and asked for them to be questioned upon their return to Taiwan, an official familiar with the matter said. To curb repeated
RSS