China accuses US of ‘lack of transparency’ over sub accident

BEIJING (AP) — China is accusing the U.S. of a “lack of transparency and responsibility” regarding an accident in the South China Sea involving a Navy nuclear submarine last month. A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman on Tuesday said the U.S. should provide full details of the incident. Two Navy officials speaking on condition of anonymity on Monday said the service had determined the nuclear-powered USS Connecticut struck a seamount, or underwater mountain. China claims sovereignty over the crucial waterway, through which trillions of dollars of international trade pass each year. Six governments claim territory in the area and the U.S. insists that freedom of navigation be maintained, reinforcing that with regular military and naval maneuvers in the region.