China’s vehement reaction to Taiwan’s indigenous submarine program shows Beijing is concerned about the effect the program would have on the projection of Chinese power, Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Alex Huang (黃重諺) told the Chinese language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) in an exclusive interview published yesterday.
Such was the importance of the program that the group who was presiding over it — including program head Huang Shu-kuang (黃曙光) and CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman (台船) Chen Wen-lon (鄭文隆) — had a difficult few years and could barely get a good night’s sleep, Huang said.
Engineers and designers in the navy’s research and development division passed on promotion opportunities to keep working on the program, he added.
Photo: Chen Yi-ling, Taipei Times
There is a limited number of countries or companies that are capable of building submarines, he said, adding that it was evident that “the Chinese had intervened” once potential partners for the program were announced by Taiwanese media.
Taiwanese public support for the program has reached a record high, and the program’s managers would cautiously approach the subsequent phases of combat trials to prove that they could produce submarines with above-average combat capabilities, Alex Huang said.
The launch ceremony on Sept. 28 saw attendance of officials across party lines, highlighting bipartisan support for the project, he said.
Citing Vice President William Lai’s (賴清德) comments on the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) move to block the acquisition of eight diesel-electric submarines from the US 18 years ago, Alex Huang said he had found it unreasonable that Taiwanese pushed against efforts to better protect themselves.
He urged the opposition parties to collaborate with the ruling party to strengthen Taiwan’s military, adding that both sides needed more dialogue.
Commenting on the possibility of Chinese intervention in next year’s elections, Alex Huang said that China had used military exercises and direct threats to manipulate the 1995 legislative and 1996 presidential elections.
China is attempting to manipulate Taiwanese so that they believe their choice directly impacts whether there is war or peace across the Taiwan Strait, and in so doing, ensuring someone Beijing is more willing to accept is elected, he said.
The media has a responsibility to provide the government oversight, but when they allow themselves to be used by Beijing to create unnecessary confrontation, it is perhaps time for reflection, he added.
‘TRAITOR’
Separately, the KMT caucus called on Huang Shu-kuang to announce the identity of “the traitor,” referring to his claim on Sept. 28 that “certain legislators” were making it difficult for the program to purchase critical equipment.
His comments were quickly followed by allegations from retired navy captain Kuo Hsi (郭璽) later that day that Huang Shu-kuang was referring to KMT Legislator Ma Wen-chun (馬文君).
KMT Legislator Cheng Cheng-chien (鄭正鈐) yesterday said that all the parties wanted Taiwan to have greater national defense capabilities, but the budgeting and procedural reviews should be transparent to prevent embezzlement.
Cheng called on Huang Shu-kuang to clarify his statements, adding that it was immoral for a person in Huang Shu-kuang’s position to accuse opposition legislators of wrongdoing.
Additional reporting by CNA
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫), spokeswoman Yang Chih-yu (楊智伃) and Legislator Hsieh Lung-chieh (謝龍介) would be summoned by police for questioning for leading an illegal assembly on Thursday evening last week, Minister of the Interior Liu Shyh-fang (劉世芳) said today. The three KMT officials led an assembly outside the Taipei City Prosecutors’ Office, a restricted area where public assembly is not allowed, protesting the questioning of several KMT staff and searches of KMT headquarters and offices in a recall petition forgery case. Chu, Yang and Hsieh are all suspected of contravening the Assembly and Parade Act (集會遊行法) by holding
PRAISE: Japanese visitor Takashi Kubota said the Taiwanese temple architecture images showcased in the AI Art Gallery were the most impressive displays he saw Taiwan does not have an official pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka, Japan, because of its diplomatic predicament, but the government-backed Tech World pavilion is drawing interest with its unique recreations of works by Taiwanese artists. The pavilion features an artificial intelligence (AI)-based art gallery showcasing works of famous Taiwanese artists from the Japanese colonial period using innovative technologies. Among its main simulated displays are Eastern gouache paintings by Chen Chin (陳進), Lin Yu-shan (林玉山) and Kuo Hsueh-hu (郭雪湖), who were the three young Taiwanese painters selected for the East Asian Painting exhibition in 1927. Gouache is a water-based
Taiwan would welcome the return of Honduras as a diplomatic ally if its next president decides to make such a move, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said yesterday. “Of course, we would welcome Honduras if they want to restore diplomatic ties with Taiwan after their elections,” Lin said at a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee, when asked to comment on statements made by two of the three Honduran presidential candidates during the presidential campaign in the Central American country. Taiwan is paying close attention to the region as a whole in the wake of a
OFF-TARGET: More than 30,000 participants were expected to take part in the Games next month, but only 6,550 foreign and 19,400 Taiwanese athletes have registered Taipei city councilors yesterday blasted the organizers of next month’s World Masters Games over sudden timetable and venue changes, which they said have caused thousands of participants to back out of the international sporting event, among other organizational issues. They also cited visa delays and political interference by China as reasons many foreign athletes are requesting refunds for the event, to be held from May 17 to 30. Jointly organized by the Taipei and New Taipei City governments, the games have been rocked by numerous controversies since preparations began in 2020. Taipei City Councilor Lin Yen-feng (林延鳳) said yesterday that new measures by
RSS