Report: China's New Nuclear Submarine Sinks at Shipyard

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Facts

  • China's most advanced nuclear-powered attack submarine sank alongside a pier at the Wuchang Shipyard in late May or early June, a senior US defense official said Thursday.[1]
  • The first of Beijing's Zhou-class line of submarines, the vessel was reportedly designed to stalk and attack ships and escape undetected, and was undergoing preparations for its first sea trials at the time of the sinking.[2][1]
  • Thomas Shugart, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security, flagged the incident in July after noticing 'a bunch of cranes clustered around (one spot)' in the shipyard's satellite images.[3]
  • Satellite imagery from Planet Labs PBC appears to show a submarine with a distinctive X-shaped stern, either fully or partially submerged, surrounded by rescue equipment and cranes.[4][5]
  • The People's Liberation Army has neither acknowledged the incident nor reported any casualties. According to US officials, Chinese authorities have not examined the shipyard for any environmental hazard caused by the submarine's sinking.[6]
  • This comes as China this week conducted a rare launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile into international waters in the Pacific Ocean — the first such test since 1980.[7]

Sources: [1]Ft, [2]New York Post, [3]CNN, [4]The Telegraph, [5]AJC, [6]Guardian and [7]Associated Press.

Narratives

  • Anti-China narrative, as provided by Daily Mail. The mysterious sinking of a nuclear submarine is a stunning setback for China's naval ambitions. This fiasco has not only exposed potential flaws in China's rapidly expanding military program, but has also raised concerns about safety standards and accountability within the nation's defense industry. This could potentially go as far as to scupper China's maritime aspirations.
  • Pro-China narrative, as provided by The Diplomat. These reports are merely US propaganda. China has displayed breathtaking maritime ambition in recent decades, and has swiftly evolved from a coastal defense force to a formidable blue-water fleet. Washington fears Beijing's evolving naval prowess, and is spreading rumors to counter China's influence in the Indo-Pacific security landscape.

Predictions