<p>China's newest nuclear-powered attack submarine sank earlier this year, a senior US defense official said on Thursday, a potential embarrassment for Beijing as it seeks to expand its military capabilities.</p><p>China already has the largest navy in the world, with over 370 ships, and it has embarked on production of a new generation of nuclear-armed submarines.</p><p>A senior US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said China's new first-in-class nuclear-powered attack submarine sank alongside a pier sometime between May and June.</p><p>A Chinese embassy spokesperson in Washington said they had no information to provide.</p>.North Korea leader's sister accuses US of increasing threats with nuclear submarine.<p>"We are not familiar with the situation you mentioned and currently have no information to provide," the Chinese official said.</p><p>The official said it was not clear what caused it to sink or whether it had nuclear fuel on board at the time.</p><p>"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 defense industry - which has long been plagued by corruption," the official said, using an acronym for the People's Liberation Army.</p><p>"It's not surprising that the PLA Navy would try to conceal" the sinking, the official added.</p><p>The news was first reported by the <em>Wall Street Journal</em>.</p><p>A series of satellite images from Planet Labs from June appear to show cranes at the Wuchang shipyard, where the submarine would have been docked.</p><p>As of 2022, China had six nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, six nuclear-powered attack submarines and 48 diesel-powered attack submarines, according to a Pentagon report on China's military. That submarine force is expected to grow to 65 by 2025 and 80 by 2035, the US Defense Department has said.</p><p>On Wednesday, China said it had successfully conducted a rare launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean, a move likely to raise international concerns about the country's nuclear buildup.</p><p>The United States and China held theater-level commander talks for the first time earlier this month, amid efforts to stabilize military ties and avoid misunderstandings, especially in regional hot spots such as the South China Sea.</p>
<p>China's newest nuclear-powered attack submarine sank earlier this year, a senior US defense official said on Thursday, a potential embarrassment for Beijing as it seeks to expand its military capabilities.</p><p>China already has the largest navy in the world, with over 370 ships, and it has embarked on production of a new generation of nuclear-armed submarines.</p><p>A senior US defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said China's new first-in-class nuclear-powered attack submarine sank alongside a pier sometime between May and June.</p><p>A Chinese embassy spokesperson in Washington said they had no information to provide.</p>.North Korea leader's sister accuses US of increasing threats with nuclear submarine.<p>"We are not familiar with the situation you mentioned and currently have no information to provide," the Chinese official said.</p><p>The official said it was not clear what caused it to sink or whether it had nuclear fuel on board at the time.</p><p>"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 defense industry - which has long been plagued by corruption," the official said, using an acronym for the People's Liberation Army.</p><p>"It's not surprising that the PLA Navy would try to conceal" the sinking, the official added.</p><p>The news was first reported by the <em>Wall Street Journal</em>.</p><p>A series of satellite images from Planet Labs from June appear to show cranes at the Wuchang shipyard, where the submarine would have been docked.</p><p>As of 2022, China had six nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, six nuclear-powered attack submarines and 48 diesel-powered attack submarines, according to a Pentagon report on China's military. That submarine force is expected to grow to 65 by 2025 and 80 by 2035, the US Defense Department has said.</p><p>On Wednesday, China said it had successfully conducted a rare launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean, a move likely to raise international concerns about the country's nuclear buildup.</p><p>The United States and China held theater-level commander talks for the first time earlier this month, amid efforts to stabilize military ties and avoid misunderstandings, especially in regional hot spots such as the South China Sea.</p>