Beijing Demands US Provide Full Details Of Nuclear Submarine Incident - Defense Ministry

BEIJING (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 20th October, 2021) The Chinese Defense Ministry said on Tuesday it was gravely concerned over the recent incident with an American nuclear submarine in the Indo-Pacific and demanded that the United States provide full details of the accident soon.

On October 7, the US Navy reported, several days after the incident, that the nuclear-powered submarine Connecticut, heading for Guam, struck an object while operating in international waters in the South China Sea. Beijing criticized Washington's "irresponsible and secretive approach" regarding the matter.

"Being the responsible party, the US has the responsibility and obligation to elaborate on the circumstances of the incident," ministry spokesman Tan Kefei said in a statement.

Tan further noted that the incident was a direct result of Washington's policy in the region, where it continuously dispatches military vessels and aircraft "to flex their muscles and stir up trouble .

.. in the name of 'freedom of navigation and overflight'."

"We noticed that the US military deliberately delayed and concealed the details of the incident. Such irresponsible and secretive practice, lacking transparency, could easily lead to misunderstanding and miscalculation," he added.

These actions, according to the spokesman, have seriously threatened regional security and navigation safety, as well as exacerbated regional tensions. Tan urged the US to stop reconnaissance near China's borders and to give a detailed account of the incident "as soon as possible" to assuage concerns of countries in the region.