US Navy keeps closer watch on China submarines, Beijing think tank says
- Surveillance ships said to be operating in South China Sea on most days this year
- Waters area near the Paracel Islands, off Vietnam, is a hotspot of activity
It said each of the ships were active in the area for more than 10 days, and sometimes for as many as 40 days, deployed one after another with virtually no time in between.
South China Sea: PLA in live-fire missile drill, US Navy on Paracels patrol
The Paracel Islands, about 400km (250 miles) from Vietnam, are claimed by the self-ruled island of Taiwan and by Vietnam, as well as by China. Vietnam calls them the Hoang Sa Islands. Macclesfield Bank, which China calls the Zhongsha Islands, is an underwater atoll also claimed by the Philippines.
The area is ideal for submarines and anti-submarine warfare thanks to the water being more than 2,000 metres deep and the complex hydrographic environment, the report added.
The US Navy also appears to be expanding its surveillance area. The report noted that USNS Victorious and USNS Impeccable were tracked in waters west of the Paracel Islands, an area the navy barely visited previously.
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Washington has said such operations are necessary to keep China’s excessive claims in check.
Official figures have never been announced but China is believed to have one of the world’s largest submarine fleets. Modernisation efforts in recent years have greatly improved its naval strength.
The US has more nuclear-powered submarines but China is catching up. US military officials have said China is likely to have between 65 and 70 submarines by the end of the decade.
In part because of their rising strategic competition, China and the US have both stepped up their military activities in the South China Sea over the last few years.
The region, a potential flashpoint between the two powers, is believed to have reserves of natural resources and is a major shipping route. It is also home to fishing grounds supplying the livelihoods of many people.