China's newest nuclear submarine sank in dock, US officials confirm [View all]
Source: The Guardian
Loss of state-of-the-art vessel in May or June is setback to Chinese push for naval parity with US
Robert Tait in Washington and agencies
Thu 26 Sep 2024 16.40 EDT
China’s efforts to achieve maritime military parity with the US have suffered a serious blow after its newest state-of-the-art nuclear submarine sank in a dock, American officials have confirmed.
The incident happened last May or June at the Wuchang shipyard near Wuhan – the same city where the Covid-19 pandemic is believed to have originated – and came to light, thanks to satellite imagery, despite efforts by the country’s communist authorities to stage a cover-up.
A US defence official told Reuters that the Zhou-class vessel – first of a new kind of Chinese submarines and distinctive for its X-shaped stern that aids manoeuvrability – is believed to have been next to a pier when it sank.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/sep/26/china-nuclear-submarine-sinks
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