Taiwan is interested in buying German submarines. That’s according to a junior professor of international relations at Germany’s University of Bonn. Maximilian Mayer told local broadcaster NTV that Taiwan needs to expand its navy to defend effectively against a potential Chinese attack.
Last week, Beijing flew warplanes and sailed battleships into the seas around Taiwan following US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the island.
NTV asked Mayer what Germany can do to help Taiwan defend itself. Mayer says Taiwan needs military and economic assistance.
One area where Germany could help, Mayer says, is by giving Taiwan access to Germany’s submarines. According to Mayer, Taiwan’s submarine fleet is too small, and Taiwan has always expressed interest in German subs.
But he says that if Germany were to give Taiwan access to its subs, Berlin would need to carefully consider how that might affect its relationship with China. Any economic sanctions from Beijing would threaten German exports worth more than US$100 billion.