US approves licence for Taiwan submarine plan

Washington has agreed to allow US defence contractors help Taiwan construct its own submarines, Taipei said, welcoming the breakthrough in long-standing ambitions to build up its fleet to counter the threat from China.Taiwan last year launched a plan to manufacture its own submarines amid deteriorating relations with China after its hopes of buying them from the US came to nothing.The US State Department has approved granting the licence necessary to sell Taiwan the technology needed for its sub