9765 U-214] Taiwan in talks with Germany over four U- 214 SSK

[NOTICIARIONAVAL]

Taiwan in talks with Germany over four U- 214 SSK

Taiwan is considering purchasing four German-built submarines that had
been rejected by the Greek Navy, a report said Wednesday. According to
Next Magazine, Taiwan's military approached Kiel-based shipbuilder
Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) for four Class 214s after Athens
rejected them for not meeting standard requirements.

"The defence ministry has sent personnel to Germany, who have
discussed a deal with the shipbuilder," the popular Taipei-based
weekly said, citing an unnamed military source.

Taiwan's defence ministry said it was not aware of the report and
would continue negotiations to buy submarines from the United States,
the island's leading arms supplier.

Taiwan and mainland China have been governed separately since the end
of a 1949 civil war, but Beijing has repeatedly threatened to invade
should the island declare formal independence.

Beijing has previously asked the United States to permanently end arm
sales to Taiwan. Washington is the island's leading arms supplier,
despite switching diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in
1979.

Taiwanese President Ma Ying-jeou, who took over from independence-
leaning Chen Shui-bian in 2008, had said the island needed to secure
defensive weapons from the United States despite warming ties with
China.

The Taiwanese navy currently operates a fleet of four submarines, but
only two of them, Dutch-built, could be deployed in the event of war.
The other two were built by the United States in the 1940s