Despite the Chron tabloid’s claim that there is a “British intelligence report” to this effect, the disappearance of a submersible has not yet been independently confirmed.
Since the end of August, many Internet users and media have been concerned with the disappearance of a nuclear submarine from the People’s Republic of China, which is believed to have occurred on the morning of August 21st and killed its entire crew. The case, the subject of much speculation, resurfaced this week, on Tuesday October 3, with a Chron article claiming he had access to “a secret report” from British intelligence that confirmed that an accident occurred on August 21″ and gave the time: “At 8:12 a.m. local time.” According to the Chron, the submarine hit a chain “used by the Chinese Navy to catch American and allied submarines -Boats was used”, which led to the death of 55 crew members: “22 officers, 7 cadets, 9 non-commissioned officers and 17 sailors”.
The story surfaced on social media, particularly in Taiwan, on the same day of the alleged event. Two reports in particular then contributed to the virality of the information: that of Li-Meng Yan, a controversial virologist very critical of the Chinese communist regime, and that of a Chinese opponent living in exile in New York, Lu De. Li-Meng Yan made himself known to the public three years ago by claiming that the Chinese had deliberately created Sars-CoV-2.
Back in 2020, CheckNews had devoted a long investigation to these two characters, reporting on the incredible exile of Li-Meng Yan to the United States and the poor reputation of Lu De, a fierce opponent of the CCP and a habit of false information.
Denial from the Chinese Ministry of Defense
CheckNews could not confirm that the virologist and her colleague were the main source of the rumor. What is certain is that they greatly contributed to giving it traction and credibility by claiming to have “official documents” confirming the disappearance – according to Li-Meng Yan, a secret briefing from the Chinese Communist Party’s Central Military Commission .
Lu De provided various information, specifying that it was a Type 09III nuclear-powered attack submarine, that the accident occurred in the Taiwan Strait and that the submarine came from the port of Qingdao (on the Yellow Sea) had run aground a little further south off the coast of Lianyungang. “Oxygen in the cabin ran out, resulting in the death of the entire crew consisting of 22 military officers, 7 cadets, 9 non-commissioned officers and 17 soldiers,” he said. stated Li-Meng Yan, the same count as the Chron. The accident, which would have cost 55 lives, was caused by a malfunction of the submarine’s anchor chain.
Asked about the matter on August 22, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said it had no evidence to “confirm the rumor” that a submarine ran aground in the Taiwan Strait. The rumor was also mentioned in the Taiwanese press – which then cited Lu De as the source, but noted that “experts believe that the depth of the Yellow Sea is not sufficient, so if the ship had left the Yellow Sea, it would have done so.” would have done.” discovered by neighboring countries.
On Twitter, an independent researcher specializing in submarine information, HI Sutton (host of the account and website Covert Shores), expressed his skepticism and asked his community to provide him with information. Until then, Sutton questions several aspects of the matter: the air reserves of nuclear submarines are counted in months, the anchor chain is hardly a problem for a device of this performance, while a reduced crew seems “unusual.” He added that an analysis of satellite images carried out by the Polish company Satim failed to detect any submarine in the Lianyungang area.
When asked about the rumor of a stranding “near the Taiwan Strait” during a press conference on August 31, the Chinese Ministry of Defense confirmed that this information was “completely false.”
About ten days later, the affair was mentioned again on various news sites, such as the Taiwanese Liberty Times. The rumor now reports “a Type 093 Changzheng 15 nuclear submarine” that exploded on August 20 “in the Yellow Sea during a test-fire of an underwater weapon during an exercise, killing hundreds of officers and soldiers.” According to this daily, new rumors then spread about “officers and soldiers who were supposed to return to their base at the end of August but did not return home” and “disputes over responsibility for the accident at the military level.”
“British intelligence leak”
The Liberty Times also notes that a US Army WC-135 nuclear reconnaissance aircraft, specialized in detecting radioactive emissions, was spotted near the coast where the incident allegedly occurred. Two days earlier, the Chinese tabloid Global Times mentioned the event and spoke of an “American spy plane” that had come to observe military maneuvers. Note that the Chinese authorities regularly denounce the entry of army aircraft into this region.
Does the mysterious British report that the Chron mentions, if it turns out to be authentic, confirm or simply relay the original rumor? On the evening of October 3, tabloids The Sun and The Mirror picked up the information and attributed it to “British intelligence.” The next day, the Times reported on the affair, also reporting “a leak from British intelligence” and stating, however, that “the Ministry of Defense had refused to comment on the Chron article.” Various media outlets then picked up on the information and named the Times as the source.
The fact is that at this point there is neither an identified official source nor any solid evidence (especially detection from satellite images) that could confirm the rumor.