Uncovered by the USA

China’s new nuclear submarine sank in the shipyard

A Chinese nuclear-powered submarine (symbolic image)(Bild: APA/AFP)

An embarrassing setback for the Chinese navy: the People's Republic's latest attack submarine sank right at the pier, according to US government sources. It is hardly surprising that the navy tried to cover up this incident ...

Besides the obvious questions about training standards and equipment quality, the incident raises deeper questions about the military's internal accountability and control of China's defense industry, which has a long history of corruption, the US government official said.

Floating cranes spotted on satellite images
The "Wall Street Journal" first reported on the sinking of the submarine at a shipyard earlier this year. According to the report, later satellite images showed that large floating cranes had arrived there for the salvage operation.

In this article, cranes are shown trying to salvage the sunken submarine: 

The incident is a setback for China, which wants to modernize its navy. The People's Republic has the largest navy in the world, although it includes many smaller warships such as corvettes and frigates.

China is skeptical about Australia's rearmament
For their part, the USA and Great Britain are currently working on equipping Australia with nuclear-powered submarines. Beijing is critical of these efforts, which also envisage the joint development of modern combat capabilities and are seen as a strategic response to China's military ambitions in the Pacific region.