China sought to cover up the sinking of its newest nuclear-powered submarine, a senior US defense official said on Thursday.

The sinking at a shipyard earlier this year was first reported by The Wall Street Journal, which also said that satellite imagery later showed large floating cranes arriving to salvage it.

The incident is a setback for China, which is seeking to modernize its navy – the largest in the world, but which includes many smaller warships such as frigates and corvettes.

  • @Zombiepirate
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    2512 hours ago

    Isn’t sinking what submarines are built for?

    • Mayor Poopington
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      1812 hours ago

      Yes, but they’re supposed to do it over and over. The problem with the Chinese sub is it could only sink once.