Reports are emerging that a Chinese nuclear-powered submarine may have crashed in the disputed Taiwan Strait. The rumors spreading online claim that one of China's Type 093 "Shang-class" nuclear-powered submarines crashed due to unknown circumstances.
The rumors first began spreading on Tuesday, Aug. 22, on X, the social media platform owned by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk formerly known as Twitter.
According to the rumors, the Type 093 crashed at around 2 p.m. local time on Monday, Aug. 21, while the submarine was performing a mission in the Taiwan Strait. The rumors further claim that the entire crew of around 100 people, including seven trainees, died in the accident, and that Chinese leader Xi Jinping has been notified of the incident.
Weighing nearly 7,000 tons and roughly the same size as British, French and American nuclear-powered submarines of a similar capability, Type 093 is one of China's most advanced nuclear-powered submarines. Type 093 represents the People's Liberation Army Navy's (PLAN) growth as the largest naval force in the world, thanks to the rapid expansion of its submarine force.
According to the London-based think tank the International Institute of Strategic Studies, China has at least six Shang-class submarines. Naval expert and analyst H.I. Sutton noted that while Type 093 is not the most common submarine in the PLAN, "it is currently the most potent."
Taiwan Defense Ministry denies Chinese sub crash
The Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense has refuted rumors of the submarine crash as "unsubstantiated."
Addressing a room full of reporters in the Taiwanese capital of Taipei, Defense Ministry spokesman Sun Li-Fang said the nation's joint intelligence and surveillance agencies did not detect any evidence of a submarine crash.
Sun further pointed out how the rumors have only circulated on Chinese and Taiwanese social media circles, and no official sources either from the mainland or the island have confirmed the alleged incident. Sun added that the Defense Ministry continues to closely monitor "all maritime and aerial activities around the Taiwan Strait."
The Communist Chinese Ministry of Defense did not mention anything regarding a Chinese submarine crashing in the Taiwan Strait during its most recent press briefing, and no report of a submarine disaster has appeared in any reports from state news agencies.
The Taiwan Strait is the natural geographical border that separates the communist mainland from the democratically governed island nation. China has long threatened to make a move to invade and subjugate Taiwan if the latter does not choose to peacefully reunify with the mainland. (Related: Biden approves $345 million weapons package to Taiwan to support the island against Chinese invasion.)
The rumors regarding the crashing of the sub add fuel to an already tense situation between Beijing and Taipei, as Xi continues ramping up his hostility against Taiwan.
Watch this episode from the "Worldview Report" as host Brannon Howse interviews a Chinese-American dissident about how social and economic unrest in China is pushing the Chinese Communist Party to move up its timetable for invading Taiwan.
This video is from the Worldview Report channel on Brighteon.com.
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