Taiwan Tati Cultural and Educational Foundation

Sub launch a major step forward

Chu-Ke Feng-yun 諸葛風雲

During World War II, German U-boats almost succeeded in bringing Britain to its knees. US Navy submarines saw their greatest success against Japan with the sinking of more than 500 vessels in the Taiwan Strait. The complete blockade of Japan with US submarines, US Navy aircraft and an aerial mining program destabilized Japan’s economy and created severe shortages of food, materials for weapons production and fuel.

On April 2, 1982, Argentine forces used submarines to invade the Falkland Islands, a British territory, sparking one of the largest conflicts since World War II. In response to Argentine aggression, the British government quickly assembled a task force to engage the Argentine Navy.

Sub success a milestone for nation

Taipei Times Editorial

Taiwan’s first indigenous defense submarine prototype, the Hai Kun (SS-711), is to be launched tomorrow and undergo underwater testing next month. It is a major breakthrough in upgrading the nation’s self-defense capabilities, and would make it more difficult for China to blockade Taiwan.

Facing Beijing’s escalating military threats and ambitions of expanding across the Taiwan Strait, a domestically developed submarine was first proposed in the 1990s under then-president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝). The Indigenous Defense Submarine (IDS) program was formally initiated in 2016, as President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) took office, with the aim of creating a fleet of eight domestically developed submarines.

TPP bungles whistle-blower platform

Wu Hai-ruei 吳海瑞

Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) on Sept. 13 announced that the party had launched an independent whistle-blower platform to report corruption in their ranks. Just one day later, the accounting firm that was supposed to operate the system terminated its agreement with the TPP, in a reversal that has seriously damaged the image of the presidential hopeful and his party.

A TPP official said that Deloitte Taiwan and the party approved a contract on July 5, and after the platform had been tested, the TPP remitted a payment on Sept. 1.

Why then have former Taipei mayor Ko and the TPP been pushed into disarray by such a simple commercial transaction? The reason lies in the TPP’s deviation from the spirit of the agreement.

Washington must prioritize Taiwan

Masahiro Matsumura

Upon Russia’s abrupt, full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year, Taiwan displayed great empathy and sympathy with Ukraine. Taipei immediately announced economic sanctions against Moscow, and Taiwanese expressed solidarity, with protesters gathering outside Russia’s representative office in Taipei, while Taipei 101 was lit up in the colors of the Ukrainian flag. Despite distinct historical and geopolitical differences, as well as the great distance between the countries, Taiwan and Ukraine have long borne the existential threats posed by a large neighboring military power.

A month after the invasion, the Washington Post published an op-ed by Representative to the US Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) that articulated Taipei’s view by emulating the US-led Western narrative: Russia launched an unprovoked attack against Ukraine amid a struggle of liberal democracy versus authoritarianism.

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