A Pentagon official, commenting on reports about the sinking of a Chinese submarine, said, “It is not surprising that the Chinese Navy is trying to hide the fact that its new nuclear-powered attack submarine, which is the first of its kind, has sunk.”

He added, "In addition to the obvious questions about training standards and equipment quality, the incident raises deeper questions about the Chinese military's internal accountability and its oversight of China's defense industries, which have long suffered from corruption."

China recently conducted missile tests, and considered that its launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile in the Pacific Ocean was “legitimate and routine,” stressing that it had not changed its nuclear policy, after the test sparked condemnation from regional powers. 

Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang said at a press conference in Beijing, “The launch of the intercontinental ballistic missile is to test our weapons and our training performance. It is a legitimate and routine arrangement for military training.” 

He added, "China's nuclear policy is very stable, consistent and predictable. We strictly follow a nuclear policy of not being proactive in using nuclear weapons and pursuing a nuclear strategy for self-defense."

The spokesman insisted that Beijing was not seeking an "arms race" and "promised not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or weapon-free zones." 

He added, "China will continue to maintain its nuclear capabilities at the minimum level required for national security." 

On Wednesday, China conducted a rare test of an intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a "dummy warhead" in the Pacific Ocean, according to the Ministry of Defense, which rarely speaks publicly about this type of test.

It is likely that the Chinese army's testing of this type of missile in the Pacific Ocean has not been carried out for several decades.

The Ministry of Defense did not clarify yesterday where the missile landed or its nature, nor did it specify whether it was launched from a submarine or from land.

French Polynesia stated that the missile landed near its exclusive economic zone. The French High Commission confirmed that Beijing had notified Paris of the launch.

On the other hand, the Japanese government said, on Wednesday, that China had not informed it in advance, while Australia confirmed that it was seeking an “explanation” from Beijing. New Zealand described the launch as an “unwelcome and worrying development.”