China remains silent over the sinking of its newest Zhou-class nuclear submarine at a shipyard

The incident, which occurred between May and June, marks a significant setback for Beijing as it builds the world’s largest navy. China’s aggressive expansion of its naval fleet is part of its broader strategy to gain control of the South China Sea, a region crucial to international trade.

Territorial tensions and strategic concerns

China’s rise has led to long-standing territorial disputes with neighboring countries including Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

The United States has responded by strengthening alliances in the region and conducting regular freedom of navigation operations in the disputed waters, which has angered Beijing. China’s navy has grown rapidly, and the US views Beijing’s naval ambitions as a major future security problem.

The Chinese embassy in Washington said on Thursday it was “not aware of the situation” and provided no additional information. Meanwhile, the US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, noted that it was “not surprising” that China would conceal the loss of the submarine.

The current status of the submarine remains unknown.

Satellite images reveal incident

The identification of the sunken Zhou-class submarine was first reported by The Wall Street Journal, with Thomas Shugart, a former US Navy submariner and analyst at the Center for a New American Security, describing unusual activity involving the submarine was involved, observed.

Satellite images from Planet Labs PBC analyzed by The Associated Press show the submarine docked at the Shuangliu Shipyard on the Yangtze River before the incident.

Images taken on June 15 show the submarine partially or completely submerged, surrounded by rescue equipment and cranes. Booms were deployed around the ship to prevent possible oil or other leaks.

On August 25, satellite images showed a submarine at the same dock, but it remains unclear whether it was the same ship. No reports of radiation leaks have surfaced and it is uncertain whether the submarine was loaded with nuclear fuel or whether the reactor was operational at the time of the incident.

China’s growing naval fleet

According to a US military report, China operated six nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, six nuclear-powered attack submarines and 48 diesel-powered attack submarines last year. The sinking of the Zhou-class submarine is a blow to China’s naval ambitions, which are seen as crucial to its long-term strategic goals.

News of the submarine’s sinking follows another major development: China recently conducted a rare test of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and launched it in the Pacific Ocean.

This was the first such test by China since 1980, raising further concerns about Beijing’s military progress.