As PLA and US bolster naval forces, fear of South China Sea nuclear submarine collision is building

The risk of a nuclear submarine collision in the South China Sea is growing as the PLA and US navies step up deployment in the contested waters, a Chinese researcher has warned.

Wu Shicun, president of the National Institute for South China Sea Studies, said the Aukus deal could add to that risk, although Australia’s nuclear submarine fleet – a key part of the pact with the US and Britain – was still decades away.

Speaking at an international relations forum in Beijing on Wednesday, Wu also said the current mechanism for crisis management “might not be effective in critical moments”. He was referring to non-binding documents signed by China and the US in 2014 on the rules of behaviour for air and maritime encounters.Read More…