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Thailand's military foreign policy is, in a word: "Whoever loses in the war is Thailand's enemy." This quote comes from Thailand's former leaders, and while we don't judge right or wrong, it does reflect Thailand's diplomatic stance. In international relations, which country to cooperate with often represents the country's international prestige and strength, and at present, the country that cooperates most closely with Thailand is China.
Recently, the Sino-Thai "Blue Assault-2023" naval joint training has attracted global attention, this is not the first time that China and Thailand have conducted joint military exercises, this year the navy, land and air forces have conducted a number of large-scale joint exercises, and achieved remarkable results. The "Blue Assault-2023" not only deepened the mutual trust between the two sides, but also brought new breakthroughs in the friendship and joint combat capabilities of the two sides.
During this joint exercise, China sent powerful naval mission forces, including Type 071 integrated landing ships, Type 054A missile frigates, Type 903A integrated supply ships, as well as marine detachments and shipborne helicopter detachments. The most notable is the Type 039 conventionally powered submarine of the People's Liberation Army Submarine Force, which made its first public appearance overseas. The arrival of the submarine sparked a heated discussion that surprised the Thai military. Could it be that the Chinese submarines that have just been ordered were delivered so quickly?
Regarding China's Type 039 submarine going to Thailand, the Thai military must have heard about it for a long time, otherwise concealed weapons such as submarines are easy to cause misunderstanding. When the Chinese Type 039 submarine arrived, the Chinese side immediately surfaced to show friendship. The Thai military filmed the moment and uploaded it to social networks, as if to say: Look at this beautiful submarine of China, it won't be long before Thailand will have one. In fact, Thai Navy Commander Chengchai recently approved plans to buy S-26T diesel-electric submarines from China, which are actually foreign trade versions of China's 039B conventional submarines. Despite close cooperation between China and Thailand, there have been disagreements over China's export of submarines to Thailand. However, Thailand suddenly changed its attitude, so what's going on?
This conventionally powered submarine, which China is preparing to export to Thailand, is China's third-generation conventionally powered submarine, equipped with an AIP hybrid system, with an underwater displacement of up to 3,600 tons, and equipped with a comprehensive detection system. The performance of this submarine is very advanced, attracting the interest of many countries, Thailand is also one of them. Thailand's concern, however, is the engines that accompany the submarine.
When China developed the Type 039 submarine, the MTU396 diesel engine imported from West Germany was used, but West Germany set some restrictions on this, the price was high and the diesel engine could only be used on Chinese submarines. So when the deal was about to be completed, West Germany abruptly cut off the supply of MTU396 diesel engines, causing the deal to reach an impasse. Thailand believes that this is a violation of the contract by China, and asks China to switch to domestic CHD620 diesel engines, but is not willing to give away submarines for free. This request from Thailand has left the deal in a difficult position.
There are several reasons for Thailand's excessive request. First, the order is worth up to $1 billion, compared to Thailand's military budget of just $7.6 billion for the whole of last year, so it hopes to maximize the benefits. Secondly, the CHD620 diesel engine is used in submarines for the first time, and there is no relevant test data, and Thailand is worried that it may face technical risks. However, during the joint exercises, the Thai military top suddenly changed its mind and agreed to follow the Chinese proposal, no longer asking China to give away submarines for free, but to guarantee the quality of the engines and extend the warranty period. This sudden decision is curious, is there more to it?
It is reasonable to speculate that the Type 039 submarine sent by China may be equipped with CHD620 diesel engines, which is why Thailand suddenly changed its attitude. The Thai military hopes to understand the performance of this domestic engine through first-hand experience and observation, so as to dispel previous doubts.
In addition, China is very confident in the quality and quality of the CHD620 diesel engine. This engine adopts advanced technology and has the characteristics of high power, low fuel consumption, low noise and low emissions. Russia was subject to West Germany
MTU engine, and at the time of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, the West imposed sanctions on Russia, making Russia urgently need alternatives. China's CHD620 diesel engine has been successfully applied to ships, helping Russia solve this problem, which has also given Thailand trust in China's sincerity in arms and trade cooperation. Although the turmoil of this submarine deal began with Thailand's request, Thailand's initiative to compromise finally resolved the dispute and completely transformed it into an interesting episode in Sino-Thai friendly relations.
Overall, Thailand's concessions on the submarine deal are a strong testament to the friendly relations between China and Thailand. Through first-hand experience of joint exercises and observations of Chinese military equipment, Thailand understands that they are working with a strong and trusted partner. This is not only a victory for commercial transactions, but also an important milestone in deepening friendship, strengthening trust and international military cooperation. Despite the turmoil, the wisdom and accessibility of both sides ultimately enabled the issue to be resolved satisfactorily.
Thailand's concession not only confirms the deep mutual trust that has been established between China and Thailand, but also demonstrates China's growing influence in the international military arena. Thailand's decision clearly shows that they have full confidence in China, and China will continue to adhere to a pragmatic foreign policy and make positive contributions to the maintenance of peace and stability through global military cooperation. The turmoil over the submarine deal eventually became part of the friendly cooperation between China and Thailand, deepening the ties between the two countries and laying a more solid foundation for future cooperation.
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