‘Significant setback’: Reports of China’s nuclear submarine sinking

Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Birmingham says the reports of China’s nuclear submarine sinking is a “significant setback” for them.

Mr Birmingham’s comments come after reports from the Wall Street Journal that a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine sunk in a shipyard near Wuhan.

“This should be taken as a reminder of the ambitions that China has and is pursuing in one of the largest military build-ups that we’ve seen in modern times,” Mr Birmingham told Sky News Australia.

“Because of the lack of transparency to the rest of the world in the Chinese system, we don’t always know or understand the scale of that buildup that’s happening.”

[sonnygunz]

“China is the land of shortcuts and façades.”

- Serpentza

[Rav]

The "Zhou-class vessel" is not something that I think we've heard much/anything about in public reporting, so the fact that it even exists is surprising.

Moreover, this happened at Wuhan, not Huludao, which is significant, as Wuhan is typically not used for nuclear powered vessel construction, as far as I know. Thus it seems that this may be a one-off specialized vessel for testing purposes(?). Genuinely not sure.

Intriguingly, the article says: "While the submarine was salvaged, it will likely take many months before it can be put to sea."

Yes Michael R Gordon and Thomas Shugart are complete tools, and the former has a history of repeating incorrect USG-sourced info (see: his Iraq War reporting). But as I have noted below, this whole situation has enough photographic evidence to suggest that the story has at least some level of truth validity. Could it ultimately prove false, a misinterpretation, or outright propaganda? Yes. But using deflection as an rhetorical tool to respond to this story is hardly increasing the credibility of denials.

Shugart, the og source for the photos, clearly misidentified some shadows as a submarine. But then again, if the submarine was wholly underneath the water, we wouldn't see any obvious surface protrusions anyways. This story may be low confidence intelligence being re-stated as seemingly high confidence (something Gordon has done in the past), with the anonymous senior defense official being quoted just bs'ing for PR purposes (not like he can say anything truly class without getting in serious trouble in most cases). Note how the anonymous official that is quoted never actually confirms or denies the core claim of the story (that a nuclear powered submarine sunk at the pier). The syntax of the quote seems to indicate that it was Gordon, the journalist, who first brought the claim of a sunken submarine to the attention of the anon official, who then reacted to it, and had his quote reprinted. Thus Gordon was leading the official on rather than reporting an original declaration based on classified intel.

I wouldn't take WSJ's coverage on Chinese military matters seriously, that's not their field.

Everyone knows that Wuhan doesn't build nuclear subs, that's Huludao's job. Wuhan builds conventional subs.

China as a matter of national policy does not build any kind of conventional nuclear reactor upstream of major rivers. A nuclear reactor accident in Wuhan would contaminate everything downstream, which includes some of the most densely populated and wealthiest regions of China.

Last time, the fuel tanks of Chinese missiles were filled with water.

This time, the Chinese nuclear submarine sank and was still filled with water.

It seems that the biggest enemy of the PLA is water. Only water can defeat the PLA. I strongly recommend that the United States research new weapons related to water.

Do any of those American heroes have water-related superpowers? LAMO

Zhou is not a class of nuclear submarines. China only has 1 class of nuclear submarine, the Shang, or Type 09III.

Wuhan does not build nuclear subs.

Nuclear subs don't go to Wuhan, which is almost 1000kms inland.

Guessing this article is based off another with satellite imagery of some barges around a conventional sub.


All of China's current commercial nuclear power plants are located along the coast!

The current American media equals the 1980s Soviet Pravda. If you look at the latter, you will see that it was full of completely made-up stories about an imminent American collapse.

[htahtoo]

Sank in a shipyard? Where's the evidence of the wreckage?

[lastChang]

This nuclear submarine's main door was jammed by a couple of bats escaped from the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

[franktully]

Given the nature of most of our media let alone PRC media, who knows what's true?

[hejjbdhfg-ij]

Fake news. Wuhan ( and Wuchang) city is thousands of Kms away from east coast of China, only has Yangzi River running through. Anyone with basic military knowledge wont believe any sub would sail there or being built there ever!! Also ALL of Chinese subs are built in Huludao, a coastal city in Northern china

[robertwilkinson]

I talked to guy USA copper company employee sent to China to train people making these subs and they didn’t listen to anything tried doing everything faster turning up heat to weld parts. Laughing at him when he called em out. He said idc your kids will be on this sub not mine

[billsteele]

They should’ve know not to use screen doors!

[JWWilliams-ssnd]

No matter what, its still Chinese built shitbox metal and workmanship. All there military Equipment that will all sink fall apart And leave them helpless.

[Khalistan_Zindabaddd]

Russia could give China submarine tech that would cut into US undersea dominance, US admiral says

[emmawang]

Why did the Western media suddenly recycle an old news?

[hanfucolorful]

Another pay check issued to SKY News Australia from the 1.6 B budget.

[Skywalker.]

In their obsession with quantity, they have forgotten quality.

[DJ]

If a submarine doesn't sink, is it even a submarine?

[ruwellsalatan]

They covered it up using a "nuclear" missile test

[philstanton]

Sky news Australia is a "click bait" channel - Don't watch

[Creality.R.Crooks]

Nuclear submarine sinks in a shipyard in a river, and not somewhere out in the middle of the ocean. How unfortunate (get real).

[vin]

"Satellite images suggest" ..that's their evidence. For a 1.6 billion dollar budget, I expect something much better.😜😜

[TheKkpop]

US journalist made another silly mistake as there's no submarine made in Wuhan. 😊😊
The last time they misplaced Xinjiang ro Guangzhou.
Do they know whereabouts Wuhan?? Do they know whereabouts China???

[hl]

Typical chinese product, total crap. I work for a company that imports components from china including expensive machinery and the sub standard workmanship is stunning.