Reuters reported on Thursday, citing an unnamed senior U.S. defense official, that China’s newest nuclear attack submarine sank at a dock earlier this year. The cause of the sinking remains unclear.
The U.S. defense official described the incident as a potential embarrassment for Beijing, particularly as it seeks to expand its military capabilities.
China currently has the world’s largest navy with over 370 ships and has begun producing a new generation of nuclear-armed submarines.
According to the U.S. defense official, the nuclear attack submarine sank between May and June while docked.
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington said they had no information to provide on the incident. “We are unaware of the situation you mentioned and have no information to offer at this time,” the spokesperson stated.
The U.S. defense official told Reuters it remains unclear what caused the submarine to sink and whether it was carrying nuclear fuel at the time.
The official added that the incident raises serious questions about the training standards, equipment quality, and accountability within China’s military and defense industries, which have long been plagued by corruption.
The official also suggested it wouldn’t be surprising if China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy attempted to conceal the submarine’s sinking. The Wall Street Journal initially covered this report.
Satellite images from Planet Labs in June appear to show cranes at Wuchang Shipyard, where the submarine was reportedly docked. According to a Pentagon report, China had six nuclear ballistic missile submarines, six nuclear attack submarines, and 48 diesel attack submarines by 2022.
The U.S. Department of Defense has projected that China’s submarine fleet could grow to 65 by 2025 and 80 by 2035. On Wednesday, China successfully launched an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean, likely heightening international concerns about its nuclear capabilities.
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