But how could this incident have been discovered? Quite simply by analyzing satellite images. According to these, we can notice the presence of large cranes which came – between June 12 and 17 – to recover the submarine. According to American military sources who testified to Reuters, the boat must have sunk while it was at the dock. If it was indeed recovered, however, it would take months before it could possibly be restored to seaworthy condition. In any case, we do not know the extent of the damage, whether the incident caused any casualties or whether there could even have been nuclear pollution in the nearby waters.
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An incident that raises multiple questions
“It’s no surprise that the Chinese navy is trying to cover up the fact that its new cutting-edge nuclear-powered submarine sank at dock”said the US defense official who spoke on condition of anonymity. “Besides the obvious questions about manufacturing standards […]”The incident raises other, bigger questions about the accountability of the Chinese navy and control of China’s defense industry, which has long been plagued by corruption.”
The incident is a setback for China, which is seeking to modernize its fleet, the largest in the world, but which has many small ships. Asked Friday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said it had “no knowledge” of the reported incident.
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