Sub ordered by Thailand ‘offered to Indonesia’
published : 5 Jul 2024 at 07:48
ORIGINAL SOURCE/WRITER: Online Reporters
China is reportedly offering to sell Indonesia a half-built submarine originally ordered by Thailand, and claims it will include a German-made engine if that is what Jakarta wants.
The news was reported this week by Janes, a specialist in military, national security and transport topics.
The development comes despite claims by Thailand that the problem-plagued deal to acquire the Chinese submarine is back on track.
Officials from China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) visited the Ministry of Defence in Jakarta on June 28, Janes reported on its website.
The CSSC officials assured the ministry that the offer to Indonesia would not be faced with the same types of export restrictions experienced by the Royal Thai Navy.
The original contract signed by Thailand in May 2017 stipulated a German-made diesel engine. But the plan changed after Germany refused to sell the engine to China as it is designated a military/defence item and subject to a European Union embargo.
Beijing has been trying to persuade Thailand to accept a Chinese-built generator in place of the German engine.
At the meeting in Jakarta, the Chinese said Indonesia could use an engine from a vendor of its choice, including Germany-based MTU, into the vessel, Janes reported.
China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co (CSOC) was originally contracted in 2017 to build the submarine for 13.5 billion baht under a deal with Thailand.
Construction was reportedly half finished when it was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and then put on hold because of the engine issue.
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Vocabulary
- assure: to tell someone that something is true or will definitely happen - ให้ความมั่นใจ, ยืนยัน
- designate (verb): to formally choose someone or something for a particular purpose - กำหนด, แต่งตั้ง, ที่ได้แต่งตั้ง
- despite (prep): used to show that something happened or is true although something else might have happened to prevent it; used to show that somebody did not intend to do the thing mentioned - ถึงอย่างไรก็ตาม, ทั้ง ๆ ที่
- embargo (n): an official ban on trade or other commercial activity with a particular country -
- issue: a problem that needs to be considered - ประเด็น
- persuade: to make someone agree to do something by giving them reasons why they should - โน้มน้าวใจ เกลี้ยกล่อม
- plagued: caused a lot of problems for someone or something for a long period of time - ทำให้ยุ่งยาก ลำบากมานาน
- restriction: a rule, action or situation that limits or controls someone or something - การจำกัด, การควบคุม
- specialist: a person who is an expert in a particular area of work or study - ผู้ชำนาญเฉพาะทาง
- stipulate: to state exactly how something must be or must be done - ระบุ, ระบุเงื่อนไข
- vendor: someone who sells something, but often not in a shop - พ่อค้าแม่ค้าแผงลอย