Russia may become the source for eight diesel-powered submarines that Taiwan intends to buy from the US, the Washington Times reported Friday.
Quoting a Pentagon official, the paper said, Russian President Vladimir Putin has quietly signed off on the deal on the condition that the submarines are sold to the US.
"If the Americans resell them [to Taiwan], it's none of Russia's business," the Pentagon official quoted Putin as having told US officials.
Other options call for using another European design or building the submarines from the US Barbell-class diesel submarine design, the paper said.
Meanwhile, two legislators who visited the US with Legislative Speaker Wang Jin-pyng (
"The US admitted during our visit that the estimated price was too high, because they measured the cost of maximum spending. The US authorities said that the next time we demand the builders to bid again, the price would not be as high." People First Party Legislator Lin Yu-fang (
"It is also important that we will be allowed to assemble the submarines domestically because it has become a trend for countries to build their own submarines, and the legislature has also passed the resolution that Taiwan should assemble its own submarines," Lin said.
"If we refer to the experiences of Pakistan, India, Greece and South Korea, China Shipbuilding Corp (
Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) meanwhile pointed out that while President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) said if the legislature did not grant the budget plan for the arms deal before the US presidential election, the deal might not be sustained afterwards, the US sent no such signals to visiting legislators.
Lin and Lu returned early from Washington yesterday, skipping the group's last stop at El Paso, Texas.
Regarding the P-3C maritime patrol aircraft, Lin said he hoped Taiwan did not have to purchase as many aircraft since the US would start to manufacture a more advanced maritime patrol aircraft in a few years, and Taiwan should consider to purchase models more advanced than the P-3C in the future.
"The arms deal this time costs over NT$610 billion, and the US still needs to provide further detailed information for the legislature's review. I don't support the idea of reviewing and passing the budget plan in a rush during the extra legislative sittings in summer," Lu said.
"Instead the budget plan should wait till the new legislative session starts in September to undergo the normal legislative review process. It should undergo the review from the National Defense Committee, and after the committee reaches a consensus, then it can be discussed on the floor," Lu said.
Both Lin and Lu said that the Ministry of National Defense did not bargain for the best deal during previous negotiations with the US, but the legislators visiting the US had pressured the US to concede on certain issues. They demanded the ministry strive for better deals in the future.
Meanwhile, Wang led the rest of the legislators in examining the PAC-III Patriot anti-missile batteries in El Paso, Texas, yesterday.
The group was briefed about the batteries and had the chance to experience the batteries with simulation exercises.
It was the group's last stop in the US, and the legislators would either return to Taiwan, or continue with their respective schedules abroad.
Taiwan is projected to lose a working-age population of about 6.67 million people in two waves of retirement in the coming years, as the nation confronts accelerating demographic decline and a shortage of younger workers to take their place, the Ministry of the Interior said. Taiwan experienced its largest baby boom between 1958 and 1966, when the population grew by 3.78 million, followed by a second surge of 2.89 million between 1976 and 1982, ministry data showed. In 2023, the first of those baby boom generations — those born in the late 1950s and early 1960s — began to enter retirement, triggering
One of two tropical depressions that formed off Taiwan yesterday morning could turn into a moderate typhoon by the weekend, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday. Tropical Depression No. 21 formed at 8am about 1,850km off the southeast coast, CWA forecaster Lee Meng-hsuan (李孟軒) said. The weather system is expected to move northwest as it builds momentum, possibly intensifying this weekend into a typhoon, which would be called Mitag, Lee said. The radius of the storm is expected to reach almost 200km, she said. It is forecast to approach the southeast of Taiwan on Monday next week and pass through the Bashi Channel
NO CHANGE: The TRA makes clear that the US does not consider the status of Taiwan to have been determined by WWII-era documents, a former AIT deputy director said The American Institute in Taiwan’s (AIT) comments that World War-II era documents do not determine Taiwan’s political status accurately conveyed the US’ stance, the US Department of State said. An AIT spokesperson on Saturday said that a Chinese official mischaracterized World War II-era documents as stating that Taiwan was ceded to the China. The remarks from the US’ de facto embassy in Taiwan drew criticism from the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, whose director said the comments put Taiwan in danger. The Chinese-language United Daily News yesterday reported that a US State Department spokesperson confirmed the AIT’s position. They added that the US would continue to
The number of Chinese spouses applying for dependent residency as well as long-term residency in Taiwan has decreased, the Mainland Affairs Council said yesterday, adding that the reduction of Chinese spouses staying or living in Taiwan is only one facet reflecting the general decrease in the number of people willing to get married in Taiwan. The number of Chinese spouses applying for dependent residency last year was 7,123, down by 2,931, or 29.15 percent, from the previous year. The same census showed that the number of Chinese spouses applying for long-term residency and receiving approval last year stood at 2,973, down 1,520,
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