China is fighting fire with fire by going nuke in the disputed South China Sea that may escalate into a global conflict. China is preparing a new stealth submarine armed with nuclear-tipped hypersonic missiles to counter US made Typhoon missiles deployed in Philippines. US too has relocated its Typhoon launchers in Luzon island of Philippines to block China’s aggression as the situation gets into a threatening phase. Will Philippines be a new flashpoint between China and the US leading to a mega showdown in South China sea that may pull the world into its ambit?
The South China Morning Post (SCMP)recently highlighted a report in a Chinese semi-official military magazine that mentions an under development Chinese submarine at a shipyard in Wuhan specially being made to target US’s Typhoon missile defense systems deployed in the Philippines.SCMP noted the publication from Naval & Merchant Ships, owned by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC), a PLA Navy (PLA-N) supplier, that in-length describes the design and features of the submarine. Although the report confirms the existence of the submarine but ironically People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has not yet confirmed if the submarine class is under development. As per SCMP, the publication
states that China’s latest submarine can carry outnuclear hypersonic missile attacks making it a go to weapon for the PLA to conduct covert strikes beyond the enemy lines and also using it as a tool to threaten Philippines with dire consequences.
The latest Chinese submarine is armed with the YJ-21, which is deployed on its Type 093 nuclear attack submarines (SSN and has an estimated range of 1,500 to 2,000 kilometers with an estimated speed of Mach 10. As per the SCMP, the new submarine was first spotted in mid-2024 and has features such as vertical launching system, X-shaped tail fin, and air-independent propulsion (AIP).
In November 2024 Philippines defense secretary Gilberto Teodorohad asked China to stay clear of West Philippines sea and remove its ballistic missile systems from the region, but China instead held a major intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test from its Hainan province that had impact up to 11,500 kilometers close to exclusive economic zone in French Polynesia. In January 2025, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jrproposed removalof the US Typhon missile system in return for halting of China’s aggression in South China Sea. But Philippines leader’s words fell on deaf ears as Chinese Foreign Minister Spokesperson Guo Jiakun stressed in February 2025 that China will pursue its charge against Philippines in the garb protecting its interests.
Though Philippines also has a SPYDER surface-to-air missile (SAM) batteries but they are not capable of neutralizing China’s hypersonic nuclear threats and, hence, is heavily reliant on the Typhon missile system that needs further upgradation. In May 2024, the US deployed Patriot missile launchers in the Philippines, that are capable of intercepting hypersonic missiles, adding a layer of protection to Philippines borders. However, China’s latest submarine in production will further propel its naval might in the South China sea, which is obviously an alarming situation for the Philippines and other global stakeholders.
As pera South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI) report in April 2024, around 11 US ship submersible nuclear (SSN) submarines and two nuclear ballistic missile submarines (SSBN) appeared in the South China Sea in 2023. China has always perceived the US submarines as a threat to its nuclear-armed submarines patrolling in South China sea, and the Philippines is at risk of getting caught in a nuclear exchange between the US and China. China sees its latest submarine as a key strategic deterrent against enemy carrier strike groups and military bases keeping its vague 9-dash-line in perspective that overlaps territories of multiple countries like Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam. China’s nine-dash-line has resulted in it having multiple territorial disputes in South China Sea and at the same time is of a key strategic importance for the US maritime trade. Now, with Donald J. Trump back in power in the United States the geopolitical situation in South China Sea has become a live wire with countries wagging fingers at each other and one push of the button on a nuclear warhead can trigger a world war.