Source: China Times

 

October 30, 2015

 

DPP Presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen yesterday stated that, if elected, her administration would launch a project to develop indigenous submarines which would revitalize the defense industry and create 8, 000 job opportunities.  Tsai said that her project would create NT$ 250 billion (US$7.8 billion) in business opportunities, generating NT$400 billion (US$12.17 billion) in direct and secondary business opportunities over a four-year period.   A press commentary opined out that Tsai’s proposed project was intended to deceive voters with little or no knowledge of the issues and could not be implemented at all.

 

Tsai stated that her proposed project would generate NT$250 billion in business opportunities per year, but the Ma administration had already done better.  For example, the Defense Ministry produced business opportunities of NT$ 80 billion both this year and last.  In other words, the Defense Ministry would produce business opportunities of NT$ 320 billion (US$ 10 billion) over a period of four years, much more than Tsai’s proposed project (NT$ 250 billion).

 

Tsai and her team used the Ma administration’s current policies as a campaign plank to deceive uninformed voters so as to convince voters and businessmen that, should the DPP return to power, they would enjoy more job and business opportunities from the defense industry.  

 

Therefore, the military called Tsai’s proposed project a wet dream. Whether Taiwan can build submarines depends on whether the US would provide assistance.  No one knows whether the US will agree to do so.

 

Lin Yi-hua (林奕華), director-general of the KMT Culture and Communications Committee, yesterday stated that Tsai had prepared to run in the Presidential Election for five or six years, so she should understand the details involved in such a project instead of just spewing slogans.