Thomas Shugart, an adjunct senior fellow, observed that the presence of cranes and an oil containment boom indicated something unusual was happening at the shipyard post-sinking. He noted, 'the cranes had cleared, suggesting the efforts to salvage had been completed.' This comment points to a potentially significant incident within China's naval modernization program and the implications it could have for operational standards.
Despite the incident's importance, neither the Chinese government nor the People's Liberation Army has addressed the sinking publicly, which raises questions about their transparency. A senior defense official stated, 'it’s not surprising that the PLA Navy would try to conceal the fact that their new first-in-class nuclear-powered attack submarine sank pierside,' highlighting concerns over equipment quality and military standards.
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