More than three weeks have passed since the USS Connecticut, a Seawolf-class nuclear-powered submarine of the US Navy, collided with an “unknown object” in the South China Sea, the US military still has not released basic information on the accident that is of concern to China and many other countries in the region. To find out the truth, the Global Times launched on Tuesday an online petition, demanding the US military to reveal information on the collision.
Sign this petition and demand the US military to reveal the truth on the nuclear submarine collision in the South China Sea!
The US Navy announced on October 7, 2021 that the USS Connecticut, a Seawolf-class nuclear-powered submarine, hit an “unknown object” on October 2 while submerged in the South China Sea that left more than 10 sailors injured and caused partial damage. The announcement immediately drew attention and questionings from the international community.
A large number of open data show that US warships and submarines, under the guise of freedom of navigation, have caused many accidents in the South China Sea that gravely harm navigation safety, including collisions with various objects or civilian ships on many occasions in recent years. These incidents have seriously threatened the safety of the life and property of local residents and affected the ecosystems of the region.
However, the US military has not revealed many details of the accident so far, including the exact location where the collision happened and what the object hit by the submarine actually was. As for many other questions, people are concerned about the effects on the ecological environment of the region, or if it had a negative impact on navigation safety and fishing work in the area. The US has not given any above-mentioned information at all.
The collision exposed that, in addition to showing off its strength publicly, the US military has also been conducting numerous covert activities in the South China Sea. These activities are by no means “innocent” and pose threats to regional peace and stability often without the public’s knowledge.
The US must reveal the truth behind the USS Connecticut‘s collision because countries around the South China Sea have the right to know it. Just as the Global Times said in its editorial, “it is necessary for the international community to set rules for operations of the US Navy, and the first should be letting it carry out its due information disclosure and stop its actions under the table on major issues threatening other countries’ security.” We call on Chinese and foreign netizens to join this petition launched by the Global Times to pressure the US military and the government and demand they take a responsible attitude and give the international community a due answer.
