China decommissions its first nuclear submarine

BEIJING: China's first nuclear-powered submarine has been decommissioned after more than 40 years of military service, state media said today.

After undergoing a thorough denuclearisation process, the submarine was towed to a wharf belonging to the Chinese Navy Museum in Qingdao, a port city in east China's Shandong province yesterday where it will be a public exhibit, state- run Xinhua news agency reported.

The submarine's release from military service and the safe, thorough and reliable handling of related nuclear waste, nuclear reactor and other devices showed China's life-cycle maintenance ability, ranging from a nuclear submarine's production, operation, management to disposal, the report quoted the naval authorities as saying.

China reported to have five nuclear submarines and 15 conventional ones with several others under construction.