![]() ![]() It is also spelled as an abnormal German departure from the stated EU position that has condemned China over the years. However, the MTU’s decision to continue exports despite an overall arms embargo is in stark contrast to its policy of not doing arms trade with countries accused of human rights violations.ĭue to human rights concerns, Berlin had banned sales of several Airbus platforms to Saudi Arabia and other nations, including the A330 MRTT refueling tanker, C-295 military transport, and H145 helicopter. This could be understood as the reason behind China’s inability to complete its commitments to Thailand. According to Alexander Lurz, a weapons expert with Greenpeace, the reason behind this was that Germany’s technology was geared toward export.Īfter the revelations were made by German media, MTU told ARD and Welt am Sonntag that it had “definitively halted” the supply of submarine engines and that it had no functional contracts with the Chinese military. MTU engines used on Chinese warships and submarines were classified as ‘dual-use technology’. MTU and the French branch of MAN, a Volkswagen subsidiary were providing the engines to Beijing. Last year, two German news organizations-the public broadcaster ARD and the newspaper Welt am Sonntag-published the findings of an investigation that claimed several types of Chinese warships were using German-made engines. ![]() Individual EU member states were left to decide how the embargo should be implemented, and their interpretations differed in terms of policy and practice. However, despite the restrictions, the Chinese military was able to receive materiel from European countries until very recently. The European Union had imposed an arms embargo on China in 1989 in the aftermath of the Tiananmen Square massacre. How Germany Derailed China’s Submarine Assembly ![]() The reason behind it is simple: German engines just wouldn’t come through anymore. Though Thailand has stated explicitly that canceling the deal will have no impact on bilateral ties, China’s inability to supply the submarine with the original engine may jeopardize its future submarine sales prospects. China has been attempting to establish itself as a regional defense exporter, a goal that may now be compromised to some degree. It’s would be worth reflecting on how the world’s largest navy finds itself in a bind as Thailand threatens to terminate the deal. However, the chance for Islamabad to source an original Type 039 engine for its sub is grim given the German reticence to supply the engines to China. In December last year, Pakistan conducted the steel-cutting ceremony for the first submarine to be built indigenously. Under the agreement signed with China, out of eight, four submarines will be made at Karachi Shipyard. Out of the 8 submarines, 4 each were to be built in China and Pakistan.Ĭongratulations! Pakistan Navy ( #PN) held a steel cutting ceremony for its 5th Hangor-class submarine on Dec 9, the first to be built indigenously in Pakistan. In another incident, Pakistan had signed an agreement with Beijing in 2015 to purchase 8 Yuan-class submarines. ![]() China’s Type 039 Yuan-class submarine (via Twitter)Ĭhina has reportedly offered reverse-engineered Chinese-made engines certified by German MTU but the same was turned down by Thailand authorities that insist on the original term of the agreement to be followed by the Chinese side. The submarine’s engines were to be provided by Germany’s Motoren- und Turbinen-Union (MTU) under the deal, but the German company was unable to sell them to China owing to an arms embargo since they are classified as military/defense items. However, due to budget constraints, just one submarine – now valued at 13.5 billion baht ($403 million) – was approved, while the other two were shelved. In April 2017, the Thai government authorized its Royal Navy to purchase three Yuan-class submarines from China for 36 billion baht (US$1.05 billion). As a result, Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has warned that the deal with China would be scrapped if Beijing was unable to fit the engines specified in the purchase agreement. China, which has the largest navy in the world, with about 355 vessels in its arsenal besides a mammoth shipbuilding industry, is facing a crisis that questions its naval supremacy.Īn attempt by China to supply a Yuan-class submarine to Thailand has hit a snag due to a lack of engines for propelling the submarine. ![]()
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