Taiwan-Local Firm push for U.S Contract For Submarines (16 Jun 2003)

Taiwan-run China Shipbuilding Corp (CSBC) hopes to ink contracts to build and assemble components of the eight submarines that the United States had promised to sell to Taiwan.

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence is undergoing discussions with the United States regarding the amount of responsibility that CSBC will undertake on the construction of the submarines.

In April 2001, the United States agreed to offer Taiwan an arms sales package and the eight diesel-powered submarines are part of this package. There have been doubts on the use of diesel power as the US have not been involved in manufacturing diesel submarines for about 50 years and newer technologies are now available.

Taiwan legislators hope to see the CSBC clinch the contract to build parts of the submarines. CSBC has experience in developing high compression-resistant hulls for submarines since starting a research and development program 16 months back.

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