Chinese officials cover up sinking of country’s newest nuclear-powered submarine tied to pier

The Chinese government reportedly covered up the sinking of its newest nuclear-powered submarine arsenic it sat tied to a pier, and U.S. officials accidental it is nary surprise.

"It’s not astonishing that the PLA Navy would effort to conceal the information that their caller first-in-class nuclear-powered onslaught submarine sank pierside," a elder U.S. Defense authoritative said. "In summation to the evident questions astir grooming standards and instrumentality quality, the incidental raises deeper questions astir the PLA’s interior accountability and oversight of China’s defence industry, which has agelong been plagued by corruption."

China’s archetypal Zhou-class submarine apt sank betwixt May and June, The Associated Press reported based connected accusation from an authoritative who spoke connected information of anonymity. Satellite images showed cranes successful the country that would person been indispensable to salvage the vas from the bottommost of the river.

The incidental reportedly forced Chinese authorities to unreserved to screen up the matter, which had not been antecedently disclosed.

CHINA'S NEW ROLE FOR ITS NUCLEAR SUBMARINES HAS THE PENTAGON'S ATTENTION

Visitors locomotion connected the decks of decommissioned submarines astatine the PLA Naval Museum successful Qingdao, China. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

China has antecedently said it is gathering a world-class subject truthful it tin deter aggression and support its overseas interests.

Last year, the Pentagon announced it had discovered successful a little-known study that China’s subject adopted a argumentation of keeping astatine slightest 1 nuclear-capable submarine astatine oversea astatine each times.

China maintains a fleet of six nuclear-capable submarines, carrying missiles that could deed the continental U.S. from the South China Sea.

AUSTRALIA COMMITTED TO BUILDING SUB FLEET POWERED BY US NUCLEAR TECH DESPITE CRITICISM FROM FRANCE

China has adopted a argumentation of having astatine slightest 1 nuclear-capable submarine deployed astatine oversea astatine each times, straining U.S. resources. (Dana Jensen/The Day via AP, File)

The study connected China's caller submarine enactment came conscionable arsenic the U.S., U.K. and Australia entered an statement for the accumulation and merchantability of nuclear-powered onslaught submarines. Australia was besides expected to acquisition the vessels to modernize its fleet.

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The onslaught submarines are premier candidates for tracking rocket submarines similar those China has deployed, and expanding Australia's capabilities volition instrumentality immoderate unit disconnected U.S. and U.K. forces successful the region.

Fox News Digital’s Anders Hagstrom and Reuters contributed to this report.