US Says Submarine Hit Seamount, China Doubts

On October 2 an incident occurred where a U.S. Navy submarine was in the International waters of the South China Sea and apparently struck an unknown object causing few injuries to the crew aboard.

What occurred next has China officials concerned.

The U.S. did not report the incident for 5 days following the accident which has cause for concern of China’s trust in what may have occurred.

After the recent probe into the incident, speaking on conditions of anonymity, U.S. officials have stated that they believe the USS Connecticut came in contact with a seamount which is mountain under the sea.

On November 2, the Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin stated in a briefing that China believes there has been a “lack of transparency and responsibility” and that they “urge the U.S. to give a detailed account of the accident” after not advising “a clear explanation”.

Wenbin also goes on to say that the U.S. has even failed to advise “the specific location of the accident, whether it was in another country’s exclusive economic zone or even territorial waters, whether it caused a nuclear leak or damaged marine environment.”