BEIJING/WASHINGTON -- The Chinese military is steadily improving the capabilities of its fleet of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, which are capable of carrying strategic missiles. With its eye on China's medium- to long-term rivalry with the United States, Beijing is hurrying to develop a new type of submarine, efforts that the United States is watching closely.
At the end of September, state-run China Central Television (CCTV) reported on a drill in the South China Sea that involved a Jin-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine. It is unusual in China for such drills to be put on public display.
