President Tsai Ing-wen on Friday attended a ceremony marking a milestone in Taiwan’s move towards building its own trainer jets for fighter pilots. (CNA photo)

Radio Taiwan International
Date: 2018-06-01

President Tsai Ing-wen on Friday attended a ceremony marking a milestone in Taiwan’s move towards building its own trainer jets for fighter pilots. This is part of a government policy launched last year to make the country more self-sufficient in terms of military hardware, while also creating a new industrial supply chain. The policy also aims to see the country produce its own warships, including submarines.

The president said she is pleased that her pledge to stimulate a national defense industry is starting to take concrete form.

“Taiwan will continue to move towards the world, and let the world know that we are a member of the international community that cannot be excluded. Taiwan will continue to strengthen its defensive capabilities. This is because we cannot rely on charity or concessions to uphold peace and stability but must rely on ourselves and our strength. Today, witnessing a concrete step towards self-sufficiency in defense, this again shows that if we will only move forward firmly, Taiwan’s progress will not be nullified,” said Tsai.

That was President Tsai Ing-wen speaking on Friday.    [SOURCE]