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   From: Cliffc@hillaryclinton.com   
      
   China’s newest nuclear attack submarine has sunk in a shipyard accident,   
   in a setback to the country’s attempts to overtake the United States in a   
   naval arms race, according to US officials.   
      
   The sinking of the first of a new Zhou-class of nuclear-powered submarines   
   triggered a scramble for Beijing to cover up the incident, officials told   
   The Wall Street Journal.   
      
   The newly built vessel, which features a distinctive X-shaped stern, was   
   sighted on satellite images alongside a pier at Wuchang Shipyard as it was   
   being equipped for sea in late May.   
      
   It is claimed to have sunk later that month or in early June. Suspicion   
   was said to have been raised when floating cranes were seen at the site   
   soon afterwards.   
      
   Brent Sadler, a former submarine officer at Washington’s Heritage   
   Foundation think tank, said: “The sinking of a new nuclear sub that was   
   produced at a new yard will slow China’s plans to grow its nuclear   
   submarine fleet. This is significant.”   
      
   Undersea warfare has become a Chinese priority in its arms race with the   
   US as tensions rise in the Pacific.   
      
   Submarines would probably play a key role in any future conflict over   
   Taiwan, with a Chinese fleet potentially attempting to invade, while   
   blockading the US from arming and supplying the island.   
      
   Submarine warfare has traditionally been an area of significant US   
   supremacy, but China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) navy has been   
   closing the gap.   
      
   A senior US defence official told The Wall Street Journal: “It’s not   
   surprising that the PLA Navy would try to conceal the fact that their new   
   first-in-class nuclear-powered attack submarine sank pierside.   
      
   “In addition to the obvious questions about training standards and   
   equipment quality, the incident raises deeper questions about the PLA’s   
   internal accountability and oversight of China’s defence industry, which   
   has long been plagued by corruption.”   
      
   The submarine is thought to have been salvaged from the site, but experts   
   said that it will require a huge refit to make it seaworthy.   
      
   Thomas Shugart, a senior fellow at the Centre for a New American Security,   
   said: “Can you imagine a US nuclear submarine sinking in San Diego and the   
   government hushes it up and doesn’t tell anybody about it? I mean, holy   
   cow.”   
      
   He continued: “The whole boat would be full of water.   
      
   “You’d have to clean out all the electronics. The electric motors may need   
   to be replaced. It would be a lot of work.”   
      
   US officials said that it was not clear if anyone had died during the   
   sinking and it was also not clear if the vessel had been carrying nuclear   
   fuel at the time.   
      
   They had not detected any indication that Chinese officials had sampled   
   the water or nearby environment for radiation, the officials added.   
      
   https://www.yahoo.com/news/australia-invest-billions-dollars-nuclear-   
   023942534.html   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
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