Ominous Signs: Where Have China’s Submarines Gone?; China Says Latest U.S. Sailing Near Taiwan ‘Extremely Dangerous’
By The Drive. China’s massive Yulin Naval Base on Hainan Island is one of the greatest strategic interests in the region. It is home to China’s nuclear ballistic missile submarine fleet—the backbone of its second-strike deterrent—as well as other submarines. It sits at the northern edge of the highly contentious South China Sea. To its east is the gateway to the open Pacific and Taiwan. The most intriguing feature of this facility is the mysterious submarine cave built into the side of a mountain that dominates the southern end of the installation. Although I have seen satellite images of the roadway barges removed from the opening, we have never seen one with a submarine actually using it, until now. . .
Yulin Naval Base, Hainan, #China is home to a large underground facility with covered tram from magazine to loading areas pic.twitter.com/cIv9MPC0cy
— Sentinel (@StratSentinel) February 18, 2017
It isn’t clear exactly what type of submarine is seen in the image, but our best guess would be a Shang class/Type 093 nuclear attack submarine. The type seen is really beside the point, what’s important is that we finally get to see this James Bond-esque feature in action.
As for where all the other submarines are, we have no clue. Tensions are exceedingly high in the region and the U.S. has massively upped its presence there. Meanwhile, Taiwan has gone on elevated alert as China executes war games nearby. While some of those drills could and likely do involve submarines based at Yalin, it’s also possible that others have moved inside the mountain, as well. Why exactly remains unclear. (Read more from “Ominous Signs: Where Have China’s Submarines Gone?” HERE)
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China Says Latest U.S. Sailing Near Taiwan ‘Extremely Dangerous’
By US News & World Report. China’s military said on Wednesday the latest U.S. navy sailing near Chinese-claimed Taiwan was “extremely dangerous” and stirring up such trouble was in neither country’s interests.
The U.S. guided-missile destroyer USS Mustin sailed through the narrow and sensitive Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, the U.S. navy said, in what have become relatively routine trips in recent months, though they always anger China.
The Eastern Theatre Command of China’s People’s Liberation Army said its air and naval forces followed and monitored the U.S. ship throughout its voyage.
“Any words or deeds that … cause trouble in the Taiwan Strait are not in line with the fundamental interests of China and the United States, harm the well-being of compatriots on both sides of the strait, pose real threats to peace and stability in the region and are extremely dangerous”, it said. (Read more from “China Says Latest U.S. Sailing Near Taiwan ‘Extremely Dangerous'” HERE)
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