Taiwan Defense Expansion

Alert

Reports From Reuters

TAIPEI, Aug 29 (Reuter) - Taiwan, concerned about the possibility of a future blockade by China, is progressing with plans to build a seventh naval fleet of U.S. and French frigates, navy Commander-in-Chief Ku Chong-lian said on Tuesday.

"The plan for the seventh fleet has been ongoing," an official at the Navy Spokesman's Office said by telephone.

The fleet, which will include six Knox-class frigates leased from the United States and 16 La Fayette-class frigates bought from France, will be the navy's main force, state-funded television quoted Ku as saying.

Taiwan currently has six navy fleets composed of foreign warships and locally-made frigates.

"We are facing an anti-blockade situation and if we do not have complete training, we will have a lot of concerns," Ku said on television.

"The Knox-class frigates have very good antisubmarine functions and we need a place for the training," Ku said, adding that the deep waters along Taiwan's east coast would be good.

Tensions across the 220-km (137-mile) Taiwan Straits, which separate the island from the Chinese mainland, have mounted since June after Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui's landmark visit to the United States.

China conducted two guided-missile tests in the sea north of Taiwan in July and August, exercises widely seen as aimed at intimidating this island into easing off on its goal of gaining more international ties.

China has regarded Taiwan as a rebel-held province since the end of the Chinese civil war in 1949. Both governments say they want reunification, but on very different terms. Beijing, which threatens to use force against the island if it declares independence, insists Lee's visit was a move toward that goal.

Taiwan has been purchasing foreign weapons in recent years to build up its defences. It agreed in 1992 to buy 150 F-16 jet fighters from the United States and 60 Mirage 2000-5 fighters from France.

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