China denies US claim of new nuclear submarine sinking at pier

The newest nuclear-powered submarine in China's fleet sank in spring while docked at a pier but Chinese government officials have taken steps to cover it up, according to U.S. officials, News.Az reports citing foreign media.

The sinking allegedly took place near the Chinese city of Wuhan around late May or early June. The attack submarine was the first of a new Zhou-class line of sea vessels.

According to an unnamed senior Biden administration official cited in multiple media reports, "it's not surprising" that China's navy "would try to conceal the fact that their new first-in-class nuclear-powered attack submarine sank pier-side," he told multiple news outlets.

It has not clear if nuclear material was on the submarine when it allegedly went down.

On Friday at a news conference in Beijing, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said he was not familiar with the topic and did not provide any information when asked about it, the BBC reported.

"We are not familiar with the situation you mentioned and currently have no information to provide," a separate spokesperson from China's embassy in Washington told CNN.

China currently has the biggest navy in the world by number of ships.

News.Az