China has delayed construction of an attack submarine for Thailand’s navy. A Thai naval official says Germany refuses to export the engines needed to finish the submarine to China. The delay could hurt Thailand’s military relations with China, which has replaced the United States as Thailand’s biggest arms supplier. The Royal Thai Navy and China’s state-owned China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Company, or CSOC, signed the $402 million deal for the submarine in 2017. Thailand was expected to receive the submarine by the end of next year. Local media reported in February that construction of what would be the country’s first submarine had stopped. Rear Admiral Apichai Sompolgrunk is director general of the Thai navy’s purchasing office. He told VOA that the submarine was unlikely to arrive next year. “Right now, the process of building the submarine is stuck because the engine is not concluded yet,” he said. Apichai said the deal involved three diesel engines from Germany’s Motor and Turbine Union (MTU) company to run the submarine’s electrical system. Philipp Doert is a German representative to Thailand. He wrote about his government’s decision to deny China the engines in a letter to The Bangkok Post newspaper in February. “The export was refused because of its use for a Chinese military/defense industry item,” he wrote. “China did not ask/coordinate with Germany before signing the Thai-China contract, offering German MTU engines as part of their product.”
Title: Thai-China Submarine Deal Faces Delay
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5472/A.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Thai-China Submarine Deal Faces Delay' data-article-id='6067'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='7000'>China has delayed construction of an attack submarine for Thailand’s navy. </span> <span data-start-time='7000' data-end-time='17188'>A Thai naval official says Germany refuses to export the engines needed to finish the submarine to China.</span> <span data-start-time='17188' data-end-time='29979'>The delay could hurt Thailand’s military relations with China, which has replaced the United States as Thailand’s biggest arms supplier.</span> <span data-start-time='29979' data-end-time='48583'>The Royal Thai Navy and China’s state-owned China Shipbuilding & Offshore International Company, or CSOC, signed the $402 million deal for the submarine in 2017. </span> <span data-start-time='48583' data-end-time='55271'>Thailand was expected to receive the submarine by the end of next year.</span> <span data-start-time='55271' data-end-time='64896'>Local media reported in February that construction of what would be the country’s first submarine had stopped.</span> <span data-start-time='64896' data-end-time='73938'>Rear Admiral Apichai Sompolgrunk is director general of the Thai navy’s purchasing office. </span> <span data-start-time='73938' data-end-time='81208'>He told VOA that the submarine was unlikely to arrive next year.</span> <span data-start-time='81208' data-end-time='91188'>“Right now, the process of building the submarine is stuck because the engine is not concluded yet,” he said.</span> <span data-start-time='91188' data-end-time='103125'>Apichai said the deal involved three diesel engines from Germany’s Motor and Turbine Union (MTU) company to run the submarine’s electrical system.</span> <span data-start-time='103125' data-end-time='108583'>Philipp Doert is a German representative to Thailand. </span> <span data-start-time='108583' data-end-time='118688'>He wrote about his government’s decision to deny China the engines in a letter to The Bangkok Post newspaper in February.</span> <span data-start-time='118688' data-end-time='127583'>“The export was refused because of its use for a Chinese military/defense industry item,” he wrote. </span> <span data-start-time='127583' data-end-time='139583'>“China did not ask/coordinate with Germany before signing the Thai-China contract, offering German MTU engines as part of their product.”</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' 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class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5472/send_goods_or_services_to_another_country_for_sale.wav'><span>send goods or services to another country for sale</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5472/make_something_suitable_for_a_new_use_or_purpose.wav'><span>make something suitable for a new use or purpose</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5472/contaminate_with_pollutants.wav'><span>contaminate with pollutants</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5472/to_alter_with_the_newest_features.wav'><span>to alter with the newest features</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=18504 data-hint-location='7000' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5472/which_country_is_delaying_the_submarine_deal.wav'>Which country is delaying the submarine deal?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Germany'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5472/germany.wav'><span>Germany</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5472/sweden.wav'><span>Sweden</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5472/georgia.wav'><span>Georgia</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5472/poland.wav'><span>Poland</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=18505 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5472/china_has_delayed_construction_of_an_attack_submarine_for_thailands__blank_.wav'>China has delayed construction of an attack submarine for Thailands <span class='blank'>navy</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='navy'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5472/neat.wav'><span>neat</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5472/navy.wav'><span>navy</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5472/gravy.wav'><span>gravy</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5472/savvy.wav'><span>savvy</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button 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