Over the past year, the UK government has issued a sharp increase in exports of submarine components and technology to Taiwan, when the Asian nation seeks to increase the capabilities of its Armed Forces. However, such actions may affect the UK’s relationship with the PRC.

In the first nine months of 2022, according to export data provided by the UK government, a recorded US$201.29 million for the license granted to the company to export submarine-related components and technology to Taiwan; a larger amount than the last 6 years combined. China’s Foreign Ministry expressed concern about these figures in a statement, despite the fact that Britain does not recognize Taiwan or have formal diplomatic relations with the island.

The type of license detailed in the report, ML9 includes an authorization to export “warships, special naval equipment, accessories, components and other surface ships”. In addition, the ML22 license covers technology for the development, production, operation, installation, maintenance, repair of goods or software.

Currently, the Taiwan Navy’s Navy has four ships: on one side, which was transferred by the United States in 1970, ROCS Hai Shih (SS-791) And ROCS Hai Pao (SS-792). On the other hand, it has the Chien Lung class, consisting of el ROCS Haihu (SS-794) And ROCS Hai Lung (SS-793)obtained from the Netherlands in 1980. Given the age of the fleet, the Taiwanese government is promoting Defense Indigenous Submarine Program to develop and build a new class of attack submarines.

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense released the first draft of a special budget for the acquisition of weapons systems, noting that it will allocate US$10 billion for the construction of the second through eighth Indigenous Submarine units. Currently, it is speculated that this year or next Taiwan will present its first domestically built submarine to emerge from this project.

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