[Reuters] Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen on Tuesday vowed to defend the democratic island’s sovereignty with the construction of a new fleet of domestically-developed submarines, a key project supported by the United States to counter neighbouring China.Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has been for years working to revamp its submarine force, some of which date back to World War Two, and is no match for China’s fleet, which includes vessels capable of launching nuclear weapons.
At a ceremony to mark the start of construction of a new submarine fleet in the southern port city of Kaohsiung, Tsai called the move a "historic milestone" for Taiwan’s defensive capabilities after overcoming "various challenges and doubts".
"The construction demonstrates Taiwan’s strong will to the world to protect its sovereignty," she told the event, which was also attended by the de facto U.S. ambassador in Taiwan, Brent Christensen.