00:00President Lai Qingde boards the Haikun.
00:03He's inspecting the country's first domestically-made submarine in Kaohsiung
00:07to check progress on its latest round of testing.
00:10So far, the submarine has completed six diving tests.
00:14Originally planned for delivery in November 2025,
00:18the program is now months behind schedule.
00:21Lai again emphasizing that submarine's importance
00:23as the country faces increased military pressure from China.
00:41Lai also boarded the Haikun Submarine.
00:44The vessel can lay mines, work on special operations,
00:53and conduct maritime strikes.
00:55It also has underwater combat capabilities,
00:57can launch torpedoes and effectively destroy targets
01:01dozens of nautical miles away.
01:28Lai's call comes ahead of a legislative review
01:31of Taiwan's special defense budget,
01:32on Monday, with three separate versions being considered.
01:36His visit also comes as China continues its gray zone pressure around Taiwan.
01:41Over the past week alone,
01:43Taiwan has recorded three Chinese Coast Guard incursions,
01:46two near the outlying Kimmen Islands,
01:49and one near Dongsha Island in the South China Sea.
02:02Meanwhile, the U.S. is reviewing the delivery
02:06of Harpoon anti-ship missiles,
02:08with defense officials in Washington
02:10signaling a tarfer stance on Taiwan's defense.
02:13Andy Hsieh and Alan Lu for Taiwan Plus.
02:16Thank you for joining us.
02:16Thank you, XIM.
02:17thank you for joining us.
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