Taiwan is investigating the situation, said the island's Defense Minister Wellington Ku, quoted by "Reuters". His statement comes after photos of a Chinese nuclear submarine that surfaced in the sensitive Taiwan Strait near Taiwanese fishermen appeared on the Internet, as quoted by News.bg.
The narrow strait that separates Taiwan from China is often a source of tension. Taiwan reports Chinese fighter jets and warships operating there daily, and Beijing tries to assert its sovereignty claims against the democratically-ruled island.
Taiwanese media released photos of the surfaced Jin-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine, which were captured by a Taiwanese fishing boat in the Dawn Strait, about 200 km off Taiwan's west coast.
When asked about the submarine, Taiwan's defense minister said they were aware of the intelligence situation but declined to elaborate.
Nuclear submarines can stay underwater for months, and the secretive missions of those with ballistic missiles means they rarely surface.
A security source familiar with the situation said the submarine was most likely returning to its port in Qingdao from the South China Sea. According to him, she probably floated because she had some kind of damage.
Military experts say the strategic waters off Taiwan's southwestern coast, where the largely shallow Taiwan Strait plunges, provide submarines with an ambush site, making it a hot spot for the armies of China, Taiwan and the United States.
Ballistic missile submarines are not designed to attack ships, but to launch ballistic missiles at targets on land.
Taiwan's fleet of P-3C Orion anti-submarine aircraft is based at Pingtung Air Force Base. in southern Taiwan, giving easy access to the southern part of the strait.
In recent years, Taiwan has complained that China is using so-called "gray zone warfare" designed to wear down the enemy without resorting to open combat, such as by flying observation balloons over the island.
"We must be fully alert to China's continued military harassment and gray area threats, and we must always be aware of China's gradual but persistent attempts to change the status quo," he stressed. Ku.
"We must be alert all the time, but without panic or apathy and calmly deal with the situation in the strait," he added. "We will not be the ones who provoke, and we call on China not to cause trouble.
According to data from Taiwan's Ministry of Defense, 20 Chinese military aircraft and seven vessels have been detected around the island in the last 24 hours.