The legislature yesterday passed a resolution demanding that six of the eight diesel-powered submarines that the US has promised to sell to Taiwan be built here under a technology transfer arrangement.
To achieve that goal, the Executive Yuan should establish a cross-ministerial panel, equip-ped with a professional shipbuilding team, in order to coordinate negotiations with the US, according to the terms of the resolution.
The resolution was endorsed by 133 legislators from across party lines, led by PFP lawmaker Lin Yu-fang (
The legislators asserted that they will not approve any budget proposed for the purchase of the submarines unless the Executive Yuan is able to reach such an agreement with the US.
This strong stance, however, is not written in the resolution because of the opposition of some DPP legislators.
A US delegation is expected to come to Taiwan next month at the earliest to present plans for the design and construction of the eight submarines.
To upgrade the standard of Taiwan's defense technology and resolve the nation's unemployment problem, the Ministry of National Defense should contest for the transfer of technology for building the submarines, Lin said.
Lin pointed out that South Korea has adopted a similar model in the purchase of 12 submarines from Germany since 1987.
Lin said this had made a significant contribution to the improvement of South Korea's shipbuilding capability.
While 11 of the 12 submarines have been built in South Korea in this case, other clients of Germany, including Turkey, Brazil, India, Greece and Argentina, have also had most of the purchased ships built in their own countries, Lin noted.
"The military should follow suit in negotiating with the US. This will not only help save on maintenance expenses, but will also invigorate Taiwan's shipbuilding industry," Lin said.
Navy officials have previously said that they would campaign on behalf of the financially troubled, state-run China Shipbuilding Corp (中船), in the hope that it would be taken into consideration as the US Navy selects shipbuilders from around the world for the construction of the eight submarines.
US President George W. Bush in April approved the sale of eight diesel-powered submarines to Taiwan as part of a huge arms deal worth over US$4 billion.
In what has been the biggest arms deal with Taiwan since the US offered to sell it 150 F-16 jet fighters in 1992, the deal also includes four Kidd-class destroyers, 12 anti-submarine P-3 "Orion" aircraft and other high-tech weapons.
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