The eight diesel-electric submarines that the US has promised to get for Taiwan will cost between US$8.6 billion (NT$301 billion) and US$11.7 billion (NT$409 billion), a US naval delegation visiting Taiwan said yesterday.
The cost would depend on the tonnage of the submarines -- either 1,500 tonnes or 2,000 tonnes -- a lawmaker who met with the US naval delegation said yesterday.
"The US delegation did not tell us what type of submarine it has found for us. But we insist that the submarines not be built in Spain," said People First Party Legislator Lin Yu-fang (
Lin, one of the lawmakers who attended a closed-door meeting with the US naval delegation yesterday, quoted the delegation as saying that the US hopes to see Taiwan's legislature pass by next July the navy's budget request for the submarines in the form of special budget.
As to whether some of the submarines could be built locally by the state-run China Shipbuilding Corp, Lin said the delegation did not give a straight answer.
"They just said they will let China Shipbuilding play a part in the business," Lin said.
The delegation also revealed a list of four main contractors for the provision of weapons systems for the submarines.
They list includes General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon.
Missing from the picture is the company that will provide the blueprint for the submarine.
Lin's comment suggests Spain is being considered by the US for the provision of the submarines.
Spain had sent a delegation in recent months to Taiwan to brief authorities on the type of submarine it could provide, anonymous defense sources said.
Germany and Italy are also in the running for the contract.
The first global hotel Keys Selection by the Michelin Guide includes four hotels in Taiwan, Michelin announced yesterday. All four received the “Michelin One Key,” indicating guests are to experience a “very special stay” at any of the locations as the establishments are “a true gem with personality. Service always goes the extra mile, and the hotel provides much more than others in its price range.” Of the four hotels, three are located in Taipei and one in Taichung. In Taipei, the One Key accolades were awarded to the Capella Taipei, Kimpton Da An Taipei and Mandarin Oriental Taipei. Capella Taipei was described by
EVA Airways today confirmed the death of a flight attendant on Saturday upon their return to Taiwan and said an internal investigation has been launched, as criticism mounted over a social media post accusing the airline of failing to offer sufficient employee protections. According to the post, the flight attendant complained of feeling sick on board a flight, but was unable to take sick leave or access medical care. The crew member allegedly did not receive assistance from the chief purser, who failed to heed their requests for medical attention or call an ambulance once the flight landed, the post said. As sick
The Taichung District Court yesterday confirmed its final ruling that the marriage between teenage heir Lai (賴) and a man surnamed Hsia (夏) was legally invalid, preventing Hsia from inheriting Lai’s NT$500 million (US$16.37 million) estate. The court confirmed that Hsia chose not to appeal the civil judgement after the court handed down its ruling in June, making the decision final. In the June ruling, the court said that Lai, 18, and Hsia, 26, showed “no mutual admiration before the marriage” and that their interactions were “distant and unfamiliar.” The judge concluded that the couple lacked the “true intention of
INDUSTRY: Beijing’s latest export measures go beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related tech, an academic said Taiwanese industries could face significant disruption from China’s newly tightened export controls on rare earth elements, as much of Taiwan’s supply indirectly depends on Chinese materials processed in Japan, a local expert said yesterday. Kristy Hsu (徐遵慈), director of the Taiwan ASEAN Studies Center at the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research, said that China’s latest export measures go far beyond targeting the US and would likely affect any country that uses Chinese rare earths or related technologies. With Japan and Southeast Asian countries among those expected to be hit, Taiwan could feel the impact through its reliance on Japanese-made semi-finished products and
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