A US Navy nuclear submarine collided with an unknown object in international waters on Saturday.
(Photo: AP)
Washington / Beijing According to the US Navy, a US nuclear submarine collided with an unknown object underwater in the Indo-Pacific. In the incident, there were no life-threatening injuries on board, the US Pacific fleet announced on Thursday (local time) in a brief statement. The Chinese government is asking for more details about the clash and its aftermath.
In media reports, citing the Navy, it was said that two sailors had been moderately injured and about nine others had suffered bruises and cuts. US media reported that the collision occurred in the South China Sea. The Navy did not want to provide any more precise information about the location of the collision and only spoke of international waters.
The nuclear drive of the “USS Connecticut” was not impaired and is still fully functional, said the Navy. “The submarine is still in a safe and stable condition.” The extent of the damage to the rest of the Seawolf-class hunting submarine is now being determined. In addition, the incident, which, according to the Navy, already occurred on Saturday, is being investigated.
The cause of the collision could therefore have been a sunken ship or a container. The boat should now be inspected at the US Navy base in Guam.
Top jobs of the day
Find the best jobs now and
be notified by email.
The Chinese government has expressed “very concerned” about the accident. State Department spokesman Zhao Lijian called on the US to disclose the exact location and details of the incident and the purpose of the trip on Friday in Beijing. US media had reported that the incident occurred in the South China Sea. It must also be clarified whether there was a nuclear leak and the environment was damaged.
China: USA endangers peace
The incident attracted attention given the current tension between the US and China. Just a few days ago, Washington had expressed “very worried” about Beijing’s recent military actions against Taiwan. The intrusion of Chinese military aircraft into Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) is “destabilizing, risks miscalculations and undermines peace and stability in the region,” said Foreign Ministry spokesman Ned Price last weekend.
Lijian severely criticized the United States for “making waves” in the South China Sea under the banner of free shipping. “That is the cause of this incident,” said the Foreign Office spokesman on Friday. The US endangered peace and stability in the region. He also accused the US of covering up the accident and not acting transparently. The incident also shows that the planned sale of a nuclear submarine by the US to Australia is likely to increase regional security risks.
China claims much of the South China Sea between China, Vietnam, Malaysia and the Philippines. The International Court of Arbitration in The Hague rejected China’s claims in 2016, which Beijing ignored. With the use of naval ships, the US is demonstratively advocating freedom of shipping in the area, which is causing tensions with Beijing.
More: US-Australia nuclear submarine deal upsets China