China demands answers on US nuclear submarine accident in South China Sea
- Chinese foreign ministry blames freedom of navigation operations as it seeks details on the where and how of collision and the likely nuclear risks
- Complex underwater terrain and ongoing nuclear submarine arms race increase risk of accidents in the region, analyst warns
“The United States should clarify more details of the occurrence, including the specific location, the intention of its navigation, what kind of object the sub had struck, whether it caused a nuclear leak that would contaminate marine environment,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said on Friday.
“It’s irresponsible and displays a lack of transparency on the part of the US to deliberately delay and conceal the details of the accident.”
“This is the root cause of the accident and poses a serious threat and major risk to regional peace and stability,” he said.
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US submarine strikes unknown underwater object in disputed South China Sea
Zhao’s remarks came after the US Navy in a short statement on Thursday said that its USS Connecticut nuclear-powered attack submarine had “struck an object while submerged” on October 2, while “operating in international waters in the Indo-Pacific region”. The object was not identified.