NAMING DESTROYERS AFTER TAIWAN PORTS SIGNIFICANT: PRESIDENT
ROC Central News Agency
2005-12-17 20:07:20
Taipei, Dec. 17 (CNA) President Chen Shui-bian said Saturday that the four Kidd-class destroyers purchased from the United States will be named after various Taiwanese ports, which he stressed has significant meaning.
Chen made the remarks after commissioning two of the Kidd-class destroyers for the ROC Navy at a ceremony at Keelung. The "1801 Keelung" and "1802 Suao" destroyers, named after two domestic ports in northern Taiwan, arrived from the United States Dec. 8.
This is the first time that naval vessels have been given names of geographical locations in Taiwan, under the legislature's proposal.
The remaining two Kidd-class destroyers, which are expected to be delivered by the end of 2006, will be named "Tsoying" and "Makung, " which are ports located in Koahsiung and on the outlying island of Penghu, respectively.
Chen stressed that the ships' being named after the four important naval ports in Taiwan has significant meaning in terms of the determination to safeguard the island.
The four Kidd-class destroyers, which the Ministry of National Defense has said will redress the cross-strait military imbalance after 2005, were purchased at a cost of NT$24 billion.
(By Elisa Kao)
ENDITEM/Li
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