To counter military actions near its borders, the Chinese navy has significantly expanded its strategic and tactical weapons, emphasizing long-range, covert, and precise strikes against enemy homelands and overseas bases.
The air-independent propulsion system could prove especially useful in the disputed South China Sea, which has an average depth of over 3,900 feet and complex underwater features like islands, reefs, and deep trenches, creating a challenging but strategically valuable environment for stealth operations.