A nuclear submarine in the port of Dalian in northern China has suffered an accident and is leaking radiation, according to a story that appears to have originally been carried on the Boxun.com site, and then picked up by a former Japanese fighter pilot-turned-blogger.
‘The area is strictly closed off by the Chinese military, and the situation is said to be very dangerous,’ Mamoru Sato wrote in Japanese of the alleged July 29 incident.
As with all news stories about Chinese military developments, the account should certainly be read with a healthy dose of scepticism. As of August 1, no major media had reported on the alleged accident.
Of course, if true the report would be trouble for the Chinese navy. The People’s Liberation Army Navy's first aircraft carrier, the former Soviet Varyag, is fitting out in Dalian ahead of her first cruise, possibly scheduled for some time this year. Just last week, the PLAN officially discussed the carrier for the first time.
China’s submarine fleet, numbering around 50 diesel-electric boats and another 10 or so nuclear vessels, is on average old and out-moded, despite a surge in production in the last decade.
The nuclear designs are reportedly highly unreliable. The PLAN’s only confirmed nuclear ballistic missile submarine, the 33-year-old Type 092, has apparently never sailed on an operational deterrence cruise. A follow-on Type 094 class is reportedly under construction.
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Brad
Another sign that the Chinese navy will never be on par with the U.S. Its really sad that the Chinese govt cares so little about their citizens that they do not tell or warn them about a possibly deadly situation. What are the people that live around this port supposed to do?
Observer
First we had high speed train crashed, now this?
Oh, I get it. It is because of “lightning”!!! LOL.
a_canadian_observer
I wonder where all the CCP braggers (bloggers) are now.
LungShaShou
Aren’t they astounding?
I love the way the gloss over the 50 million Mao caused deaths, the billions of dollars worth of theft each year from Western Hi Tech companiesm and their incredible racism.
The blogosphere of Masters and PhD level Chinese is so full of nationalistic hatred for the West and one gets the sense they are looking forward to a fight. The same is true in their military who is also itching for a fight.
I am confident they will not be particularly nice if/when they are the hegemon but I am saddened and worried about the state of decmocracy.
I see the Chinese government as a wicked force and consider the recent episode whetre a child was run over and then left to die so very typical of the mentality of many many of their people.
Grant
Too uncertain to tell, I’d want at least a trustworthy newspaper with a Geiger counter. It’s possible but I don’t know.
Cyrus
If this is true just hope the Civilian’s are being evacuated.
Paddy
Governments! Chinese, Japanese or Australian are all terrible when it comes to alerting citizens to the true nature of disasters.