A navigation warning 499/24 was issued by Zhejiang, stating that the tugboat “Lianhe Qirui” sank at the coordinates 30°44.65’N, 122°31.59’E. All vessels are advised to avoid this dangerous area.
The “Lianhe Qirui” is a semi-submersible engineering tugboat belonging to Fujian United Marine Engineering Co., Ltd. It has a tonnage of 4,463 tons, a length of 85 meters, and a horsepower of 23,500. It combines multiple functions, including towing and salvage. Globally, only China and the Netherlands can manufacture such vessels. Its power is so immense that it can even lift an aircraft carrier.
Some netizens pointed out that at the time of the incident, the original speed of the “Lianhe Qirui” was 13 knots, but it suddenly dropped to 7 knots. This raised suspicions of a collision, possibly with a reef or another vessel. If it indeed collided with another vessel, the impact would likely have caused the other vessel to break into pieces.
There is a theory that the “Lianhe Qirui” was specifically designed to target underwater submarines, suggesting that the incident might have been a deliberate scenario set up by China.
Another warning, Guangdong Maritime Safety Administration 78/24, reported that a 4-meter-long drone crashed in the Bashi Channel. This drone was used for ocean environment and geomagnetic surveys, and its approximate location was at 20°41’42″N, 120°04’36″E. Passing vessels are advised to be cautious. Some netizens speculated that this might be a military drone that crashed during the “United Sharp Sword-2024A” exercise.
However, upon analysis, it becomes clear that these two incidents occurred independently and are unrelated to the “United Sharp Sword-2024A” exercise.
Why? The sinking of the “Lianhe Qirui” happened in the waters of the Shengsi Islands in Zhejiang, far from the Taiwan Strait. Navigation warnings indicate that the water depth in this area is about 20 meters, making it impossible for foreign submarines to operate at this depth. Therefore, there is no situation where the “Lianhe Qirui” could have pushed a submarine underwater.