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Taiwan, Su’ao (AP) —The Taiwanese president oversaw the commissioning of a new domestic naval warship on Thursday as part of the island’s plan to strengthen the defense capabilities of indigenous peoples amid heightened tensions with China.
President Tsai Ing-wen said at Su’ao’s naval base on the east coast of the island, “We are proving that we can overcome any difficulties one by one on the path of independence in national defense.” .. “
Known as Ta Jiang and called the “career killer,” the ship is a Taiwanese company, Lung Teh Shipbuilding Co. Was built by. The ship is designed to be air defense capable and can carry anti-ship missiles.
This is the first of six of this kind commissioned by the Navy.
Tsai has made it a priority to boost Taiwan’s domestic defense industry. She promoted the military aviation industry with the production of new trainer aircraft and called for the development of more sophisticated systems utilizing the island’s high-tech industry.
In addition, Taiwan is currently manufacturing its own submarine after four years of research and design. After Beijing has successfully blocked the purchase of such crafts from abroad in recent years using economic and diplomatic threats, it decided to build it on its own.
China claims that Taiwan has been functioning independently since the civil war in 1949, but Taiwan is part of its territory.
Over the past few years, Taiwan has faced increased harassment from Beijing, which has been flying fighters to the island almost every day.
On Sunday, China’s PLA sent 19 fighters to the southwestern part of Taiwan’s air defense identification zone, according to the island’s Ministry of Defense.
In August, the PLA conducted assault training using fighter, anti-submarine, and combatant squads.
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