Chinese State Media: "US Spy Ship Collects Submarine Combat Data in South China Sea"

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] According to Chinese state media, a U.S. Navy oceanographic survey ship has been collecting data to support submarine operations in the South China Sea since the end of last month.

On the 12th, the Global Times reported that the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI), a Chinese think tank, stated that the U.S. oceanographic survey ship Mary Sears (T-AGS 65) entered the South China Sea on the 26th of last month and is conducting extensive investigations.

According to SCSPI, the Mary Sears approached the waters south of Hainan, China, from the 1st to the 4th, and near the Vietnamese coastline from the 5th to the 9th, before moving to the area near the Nansha Islands (Spratly Islands) on the 10th.

Chinese military experts claim that although the ship appears to be conducting oceanographic surveys, its real purpose is to support submarine warfare.

SCSPI reported that the Mary Sears has operated several times in the South China Sea in the past and specializes in detecting and surveying underwater topography, meteorology, and hydrology.

An anonymous military expert told the Global Times, "This ship can install devices that create underwater maps to assist submarine navigation or detect the locations of hostile submarines."

Earlier, major foreign media outlets such as CNN reported on the 2nd that the U.S. Seawolf-class nuclear-powered submarine USS Connecticut collided with an unidentified object in the Indo-Pacific region.

While there is speculation that the submarine may have collided with underwater terrain, whales, or other underwater vessels, if it indeed struck underwater topography, it suggests that the U.S. would require a detailed survey of the South China Sea.

The Chinese government is pressuring the U.S. to disclose specific details about the collision site and whether there was any nuclear material leakage. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian urged at a press conference the previous day, "The U.S. must clearly disclose where the nuclear submarine accident occurred, whether the accident caused nuclear material leakage that damaged the marine environment, and whether the accident could affect navigation safety and fisheries in the area where it happened."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.