On Tuesday, Taiwan started construction of indigenous submarines, the latest move was made to enhance its defences against increasingly bellicose threats from China.
“We are letting the world see Taiwan’s strong will to defend its sovereignty,” Tsai said at a ceremony marking the start of construction in a shipyard in southern Kaohsiung city.
The project aims to deliver eight new submarines, with the first expected by 2025 according to officials.
Taiwan’s navy currently has four submarines, including two built by the United States in the 1940s.
Washington initially approved an offer back in 2001 to supply eight conventional submarines, but the sale never came to fruition.
Democratic Taiwan lives under the constant threat of invasion by communist China, which views the self-ruled island as part of its territory and has vowed to one day seize it, by force if necessary.
