Unverified reports emerged earlier this week, suggesting a Chinese submarine had met with an accident during its passage through the Taiwan Strait. These reports swiftly gained traction on social media, sparking widespread concern regarding the fate of the PLA Navy submarine.Starting from August 21, several of these reports implied that the submarine in question was the nuclear-powered Type-093 Shang Class submarine. Subsequent claims intensified the turmoil by asserting that the entire submarine crew had perished.The Shang class constitutes a lineage of Chinese second-generation nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSNs). The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLA) operates six of these submarine variants, which form the core of its submarine fleet. The more advanced Chinese submarines, such as the Type 093A and Type 093B SSNs, represent upgraded iterations of the Type 093.However, within less than 24 hours, the Taiwanese Ministry of National Defense (MND) refuted these reports. On August 22, the MND of Taiwan clarified that there was no substantiated evidence to support the claim of a Chinese submarine accident in the Taiwan Strait.Major General Sun Lifang, spokesperson for the MND, affirmed that through joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance methods, they had meticulously monitored all maritime and aerial activities around the Taiwan Strait, and no credible information indicated the loss of a Chinese nuclear submarine.As a result, OSINT analysts and weapon tracking accounts retracted the unverified reports.Following Taiwan's MND statement, respected open-source intelligence and naval analyst H.I. Sutton posted on platform X, "I have removed the post about the allegedly missing #Chinese submarine. As of now, I have not encountered any compelling evidence to substantiate the rumors, and undue weight is being assigned to my posts (despite my reservations)." Sutton advised caution when approaching the topic, given its sensitivity.These reports of an accident coincided with heightened tensions among China, Taiwan, and the United States, occurring just days after Beijing initiated extensive military exercises in the vicinity of Taiwan. The Eastern Theatre Command of the People’s Liberation Army released a concise statement earlier this month, announcing joint naval and air combat readiness patrols around the island.Reportedly commencing on August 19, these drills purportedly aimed to respond to the visit of Taiwanese Vice President William Lai to the United States. Lai, the frontrunner in the upcoming January elections, often sees China condemn high-profile interactions between officials from Taipei and Washington.In recent months, China has conducted numerous military maneuvers in close proximity to Taiwan. For instance, in August 2022, during a prominent visit by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taipei, China conducted exercises. Additionally, in April 2023, when Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, the Chinese military carried out another series of drills.This peculiar news not only exposed the potential for false information to proliferate on social media platforms but also evoked memories of a real past incident involving a Chinese submarine – an event that deeply impacted the PLAN and the entire nation.China's Submarine Disaster of 2003Differing from the recent unconfirmed accident news, the 2003 Chinese submarine incident was authentically tragic. Unlike the recent surge of rumors on the internet, the 2003 submarine accident transpired in the Yellow Sea off China's northeast coast, not in the Taiwan Strait.In early May 2003, the PLA Navy faced its most significant peacetime tragedy in the history of Communist China. An overloaded submarine operating in the Yellow Sea claimed the lives of 70 officers and crew members.The official New China News Agency reported that the disaster occurred "recently" between the Shandong and Korean peninsulas. The submarine involved, Navy Submarine No. 361, was a diesel-powered vessel engaged in a drill when the catastrophe unfolded.Due to a mechanical malfunction, all 70 crew members on board perished. Preliminary findings at the time suggested the vessel belonged to the East China Fleet.Jiang Zemin, the former Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, stated, "The officers and sailors of 361 remembered their sacred duty entrusted by the Party and the People. They died on duty, sacrificed themselves for the country, and are great losses to the People’s Navy."The incapacitated submarine remained adrift for ten days, undiscovered due to its silent, no-contact exercise nature. On April 25, 2003, Chinese fishermen spotted the submarine's periscope protruding above the water's surface. The crew were found slumped over their stations, indicating they had succumbed before realizing the issue. Although the incident occurred in April, Chinese officials officially announced it on May 3.Subsequently, the PLA itself informed the media about the tragic incident, a departure from its typical protocol. Military experts familiar with the developments identified the vessel as a Ming-class submarine. At the time of the accident, the submarine was already 20 years old, having been in service for two decades.In the aftermath, experts noted that the Ming-class submarine could accommodate 57 individuals simultaneously, including ten officers. The vessel would have been "crowded" if it had carried 70 men during the accident.This incident led to the removal of PLA Navy's Commander Shi Yunsheng and Political Commissar Yang Huaiqing from their positions.Despite occurring during a period of peace in the region, the event left a lasting impact on the annals of the PLA Navy and the Central Military Commission. Even two decades later, it remains a somber reminder of the worst tragedy to befall the rapidly advancing PLA Navy.
