Chinese nuclear-powered submarine sank earlier this year

27/9/2024 6:11

        China's newest
        nuclear-powered attack submarine sank earlier this year, a
        senior U.S. defense official said on Thursday, a potential
        embarrassment for Beijing as it seeks to expand its military
        capabilities.
        
        China already has the largest navy in the world, with over
        370 ships, and it has embarked on production of a new generation
        of nuclear-armed submarines.
        
        A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of
        anonymity, said China's new first-in-class nuclear-powered
        attack submarine sank alongside a pier sometime between May and
        June.
        
        A Chinese embassy spokesperson in Washington said they had
        no information to provide.
        
        "We are not familiar with the situation you mentioned
        and currently have no information to provide," the Chinese
        official said.
        
        The official said it was not clear what caused it to sink or
        whether it had nuclear fuel on board at the time.
        
        "In addition to the obvious questions about training
        standards and equipment quality, the incident raises deeper
        questions about the PLA's internal accountability and oversight
        of China's defense industry - which has long been plagued by
        corruption," the official said, using an acronym for the
        People's Liberation Army.
        
        "It's not surprising that the PLA Navy would try to conceal"
        the sinking, the official added.
        
        The news was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
        
        A series of satellite images from Planet Labs from June
        appear to show cranes at the Wuchang shipyard, where the
        submarine would have been docked.
        
        As of 2022, China had six nuclear-powered ballistic missile
        submarines, six nuclear-powered attack submarines and 48
        diesel-powered attack submarines, according to a Pentagon report
        on China's military. That submarine force is expected to grow to
        65 by 2025 and 80 by 2035, the U.S. Defense Department has said.
        
        On Wednesday, China said it had successfully conducted a
        rare launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile into the
        Pacific Ocean, a move likely to raise international concerns
        about the country's nuclear buildup.
        
        The United States and China held theater-level commander
        talks for the first time earlier this month, amid efforts to
        stabilize military ties and avoid misunderstandings, especially
        in regional hot spots such as the South China Sea.