China to build four submarines in Pakistan

China will build in Karachi four of the eight submarines that it is selling to Pakistan, a minister said.

The deal for the submarines has been finalised and four of them would be built here, Minister for Defence Production Rana Tanveer Hussain said on Tuesday.

Construction of the submarines would simultaneously begin in Pakistan and China, Dawn quoted him as saying.

Hussain did not specify when the construction would begin, but said it would start soon.

Pakistan Navy has been pursuing different options for expanding its submarine fleet. Naval officials say more submarines were needed to address force imbalance with India, which too is increasing and modernising its fleet of submarines.

"We can compete with the best in the world only through a national effort," Hussain said, adding the government would extend all possible cooperation to the private sector in this regard.