The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), reports have emerged that a newly-constructed nuclear-powered submarine sank pier-side in March 2024. China has managed to keep the incident under wraps until now, but recently revealed satellite images have exposed the extent of the damage.
US officials disclosed the event to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), bringing the secretive accident into the public eye. The officials identified the sunken vessel as an attack submarine, the first of the Zhou-class series of warships, a new and innovative design for the PLAN. Notably, this submarine class features an X-shaped stern, a unique configuration aimed at improving underwater maneuverability, indicating China’s ambition to push the boundaries of submarine technology.
The Zhou-class submarine, while docked at the Wuchang shipyard near Wuhan, reportedly sank during its final fitting stages in March. Satellite images from that time captured the submarine with its distinctive X-shaped stern, clearly marking it as a new class of vessel. However, subsequent images obtained in June show that the submarine had vanished, with the only notable activity being the presence of crane barges at the shipyard, suggesting an accident occurred.
Naval expert and former US submariner Tom Shugart, an active commentator on naval activities, had already raised suspicions about the incident. Shugart, who analyzed satellite imagery in June, pointed out unusual activity at the Wuchang shipyard and identified the crane barges near the location where the submarine had been previously stationed.
Shugart’s analysis, shared through a series of posts on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), highlighted the disappearance of the submarine and suggested an accident. In one post, Shugart commented, “I acquired an image from June 13th. In the image, there appear to be what looks like crane barges clustered around…something…near where the submarine was earlier. Also, the floating pier where the submarine was moored appears to have been offset a bit.”
Chinese Government Response: Silence and Denial
Despite the mounting evidence, the Chinese government has neither confirmed nor denied the incident. When questioned by reporters, a spokesperson from the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, simply stated, “We are not familiar with the situation you mentioned and currently have no information to provide.” This tight-lipped response is consistent with China’s tendency to conceal military setbacks, particularly those that involve advanced technologies or sensitive defense operations.
US officials have suggested that the submarine was likely loaded with nuclear fuel when it capsized. While no information on potential casualties has been released, experts do not rule out the possibility that crew members may have been lost in the incident. These officials also raised concerns that there is no clear evidence China has examined the surrounding water for radioactive contamination, a standard procedure after accidents involving nuclear-powered vessels.
China’s Naval Ambitions
The sinking of the Zhou-class submarine is a blow to China’s ambitions of matching the naval capabilities of the United States. Over the past decade, China has been expanding its submarine force at a rapid pace as part of a broader strategy to bolster its maritime influence and counterbalance US military power in the Asia-Pacific region.
According to the Pentagon’s 2023 China Military Report, the PLAN boasts a fleet of 48 diesel-powered attack submarines, six nuclear-powered attack submarines, and six nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines. This submarine force is one of the cornerstones of China’s naval strategy, aimed at projecting power far beyond its shores and asserting its presence in critical maritime regions such as the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait.
However, the US Navy remains significantly ahead in terms of submarine capabilities. The US operates an all-nuclear-powered submarine fleet, which includes 53 fast-attack submarines, 14 ballistic missile submarines, and four guided-missile submarines. Despite China’s rapid shipbuilding, the technological and operational gaps between the two navies remain substantial, and incidents like the March 2024 sinking highlight the challenges China faces in maintaining a world-class submarine force.
Chinese Submarine Operations
The Zhou-class submarine sinking is not the first time that China’s submarine program has been plagued by accidents. In August 2023, rumors surfaced on social media about a Chinese submarine crash in the Taiwan Strait. Both Chinese and Taiwanese authorities swiftly denied these reports, with Taiwan stating there was no evidence to support the claims. At the time, Chinese Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Senior Colonel Wu Qian called the rumors “completely false” and urged internet users to rely on official sources of information.
Nevertheless, by October 2023, British media reported that a Type 093 nuclear-powered Chinese submarine had encountered a catastrophic accident. According to these reports, the submarine had struck a “chain and anchor” trap—a defensive mechanism designed to entangle foreign submarines operating near Chinese waters. The accident reportedly resulted in the submarine sinking, with the crew suffocating after an oxygen system failure. The incident was said to have occurred in the Yellow Sea, although initial rumors had placed the location in the Taiwan Strait.
Despite these claims, the Chinese government did not confirm the incident, and independent verification proved elusive. However, the matter resurfaced in May 2024 when Taiwan’s National Security Bureau chief, Tsai Ming-Yen, acknowledged that an accident had occurred in 2023 involving a Type-093 Shang-class submarine.
The recurring incidents involving Chinese submarines have raised concerns about the overall safety and reliability of China’s submarine force. Experts have noted that while China’s shipbuilding capabilities are impressive in terms of speed and volume, its quality control, training, and operational safety protocols may lag behind those of other advanced naval powers like the US and Russia.
China’s Defense Industry
The March 2024 sinking of the Zhou-class submarine has renewed questions about the internal workings of China’s defense industry. US officials pointed to longstanding issues with corruption and mismanagement within China’s military-industrial complex, which could have contributed to the accident.
In particular, the incident has raised concerns about the level of oversight and accountability within the PLA. The rapid pace of military modernization in China, driven by aggressive government mandates, may be coming at the cost of proper safety measures, crew training, and equipment testing.
“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 pier-side,” a US official told the Wall Street Journal. “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 secrecy surrounding the incident and the lack of transparency from Chinese authorities make it difficult to assess the true scale of the damage or the potential environmental and human impacts of the accident.
China’s Leadership Amid Naval Setbacks
The submarine sinking may also be linked to broader turmoil within China’s political and military leadership. Reports emerged in late 2023 and early 2024 suggesting that China’s defense minister was under investigation, with some sources claiming he had been stripped of his responsibilities. While the exact reasons for the minister’s disappearance remain unclear, it has fueled speculation about internal power struggles within the ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
The disappearance of high-ranking officials is not uncommon in China’s opaque political system, but the timing of this particular incident—coming on the heels of multiple naval accidents—has led some analysts to speculate that the leadership may be facing pressure to address systemic issues within the military, particularly in relation to the submarine force.
The sinking of the Zhou-class nuclear submarine marks a significant setback for the PLAN and highlights the risks inherent in China’s rapid military expansion. As Beijing seeks to project power on the global stage, incidents like this raise questions about the safety, reliability, and accountability of its defense industry.
While China will likely continue its naval buildup, this latest incident may force a reevaluation of some of its strategies, particularly in terms of ensuring the operational safety of its advanced submarine fleet. For now, the full extent of the damage caused by the March 2024 sinking remains unknown, but it serves as a reminder of the challenges China faces in its quest for naval supremacy.
