First Steel-Hull Megayacht from Taiwan
Jade Yachts Shipbuilding Corp. is set to deliver the first made-in-Taiwan steel super yacht, a milestone in the nation's shipbuilding sector. "We hope to take the shipbuilding industry in Taiwan to a higher level in terms of quantity and quality," Jade Yachts chairman Han Pi-hsiang said while scrutinizing the 86-ft. yacht Bandido during its first sea trial in Kaohsiung Harbor, according to a report on www.taipeitimes.com. Han is also the chairman of Jong Shyn Shipbuilding Co, the parent company of Jade Yachts and the nation's largest private shipbuilder. Bandido is the first yacht with a steel and aluminum hull ever made by a Taiwanese company.
Controversy Surrounds Missle Boat Contract
According to the report, the problem began last week when People First Party (PFP) Legislator Sun Ta-chien accused companies involved in the bidding of leaning on officials in order to secure a $446 million contract to build 29 missile boats for the navy. According to the report, Sun further alleged that former presidential adviser Chen Che-nan and Vice Minister of Economic Affairs Hou Ho-hsiung pressured the ministry and the firm that won the contract to divert some work to a second company. The Taipei Times report said that Chen and Hou deny having done so. In the wake of Sun's claims, calls are mounting in the legislature for a thorough investigation of the bidding on the missile-boat contract to uncover the truth…