By Su Yung-yao
and Jake Chung / Staff reporter, with staff writer
China’s vehement reaction to Taiwan’s indigenous submarine program shows Beijing is concerned about the effect the program would have on the projection of Chinese power, Presidential Office Deputy Secretary-General Alex Huang (黃重諺) told the Chinese language Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) in an exclusive interview published yesterday.
Such was the importance of the program that the group who was presiding over it — including program head Huang Shu-kuang (黃曙光) and CSBC Corp, Taiwan chairman (台船) Chen Wen-lon (鄭文隆) — had a difficult few years and could barely get a good night’s sleep, Huang said.
Engineers and designers in the navy’s research and development division passed on promotion opportunities to keep working on the program, he added.
Photo: Chen Yi-ling, Taipei Times
There is a limited number of countries or companies that are capable of building submarines, he said, adding that it was evident that “the Chinese had intervened” once potential partners for the program were announced by Taiwanese media.
Taiwanese public support for the program has reached a record high, and the program’s managers would cautiously approach the subsequent phases of combat trials to prove that they could produce submarines with above-average combat capabilities, Alex Huang said.
The launch ceremony on Sept. 28 saw attendance of officials across party lines, highlighting bipartisan support for the project, he said.
Citing Vice President William Lai’s (賴清德) comments on the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) move to block the acquisition of eight diesel-electric submarines from the US 18 years ago, Alex Huang said he had found it unreasonable that Taiwanese pushed against efforts to better protect themselves.
He urged the opposition parties to collaborate with the ruling party to strengthen Taiwan’s military, adding that both sides needed more dialogue.
Commenting on the possibility of Chinese intervention in next year’s elections, Alex Huang said that China had used military exercises and direct threats to manipulate the 1995 legislative and 1996 presidential elections.
China is attempting to manipulate Taiwanese so that they believe their choice directly impacts whether there is war or peace across the Taiwan Strait, and in so doing, ensuring someone Beijing is more willing to accept is elected, he said.
The media has a responsibility to provide the government oversight, but when they allow themselves to be used by Beijing to create unnecessary confrontation, it is perhaps time for reflection, he added.
‘TRAITOR’
Separately, the KMT caucus called on Huang Shu-kuang to announce the identity of “the traitor,” referring to his claim on Sept. 28 that “certain legislators” were making it difficult for the program to purchase critical equipment.
His comments were quickly followed by allegations from retired navy captain Kuo Hsi (郭璽) later that day that Huang Shu-kuang was referring to KMT Legislator Ma Wen-chun (馬文君).
KMT Legislator Cheng Cheng-chien (鄭正鈐) yesterday said that all the parties wanted Taiwan to have greater national defense capabilities, but the budgeting and procedural reviews should be transparent to prevent embezzlement.
Cheng called on Huang Shu-kuang to clarify his statements, adding that it was immoral for a person in Huang Shu-kuang’s position to accuse opposition legislators of wrongdoing.
Additional reporting by CNA
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