Chinese Nuclear Submarines’ Presence in Taiwan Strait Could Spark Unintended Conflict, Says Expert

Hong Kong, December 4: The presence of a Chinese submarine recently in the Taiwan Strait underlines the danger of military vessels in the narrow waterway, which, analysts warn, could spark an unintended conflict, a media report said.

Submarine expert H I Sutton, writing on the Covert Shores blog on Monday, identified the vessel as a Chinese Type-94 nuclear-powered ballistic missile sub in a photo from the open-source European satellite imagery service, Sentinel-2, reported CNN. Also Read | Delta Variant Predominant As More Omicron COVID-19 Cases Emerge in UK.

The Sentinel 2 satellite image was taken on November 29. According to the US-based publication, the submarine was spotted allegedly cruising above the surface of the waters separating Taiwan from mainland China, where many analysts say conflict is more likely to start from an accidental collision than a planned event -- and the more warships in a confined space, the more chances there are for accidents to happen. Also Read | Italian Man Tries To Fool Health Workers By Using Fake Arm In Attempt To Get COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate Without Getting Jabbed.

So far the reason for the presence of the Chinese vessel in the strait remains unknown. However, Sutton said it was likely the Chinese sub -- also known as an SSBN or boomer.

Sutton also said that the vessel was on a routine mission, possibly heading back to a People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy port on the Bohai Sea for repairs or maintenance. However, other experts who viewed the satellite image said the alleged presence of a boomer on the surface was perplexing, according to CNN.

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