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.

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