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.