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A US defense official announced yesterday that China tried to cover up the sinking of its latest nuclear-powered submarine.
The Wall Street Journal was the first to report the sinking, which occurred in a shipyard earlier this year.
On that day, the newspaper published satellite images showing large cranes brought in to recover the submarine.
“It is not surprising that the Chinese Navy is trying to cover up the fact that its new advanced nuclear-powered submarine sank at the dock,” the official said, requesting anonymity.
He added: “Besides the obvious questions about manufacturing standards, the incident raises other, larger questions about the responsibility of the Chinese Navy and oversight of the Chinese defense industry, which has long been plagued by corruption.”
The accident represents a setback for China, which seeks to modernize its naval fleet, which is considered the largest in the world, but includes many small ships.
The United States and Britain agreed to supply Australia with nuclear-powered submarines, in a move that will increase the number of countries that possess these advanced submarines.
Beijing criticized this move because it was considered a strategic response to its military ambitions in the Asia-Pacific region.
