China actively supports salvage of Indonesian submarine: spokesperson

BEIJING, May 27 (Xinhua) -- A team of Chinese vessels is actively assisting with the salvage of a sunken Indonesian submarine, having conducted 18 underwater operations since arriving in Indonesian waters in early May, Ministry of National Defense spokesperson Tan Kefei said at a press conference on Thursday.

China dispatched three vessels to assist with recovering the remains of the KRI Nanggala-402 submarine, which sank in the waters north of Bali on April 21, killing all 53 people on board.

Following the underwater salvage operations, the situation of the sunken submarine has been basically identified, Tan said, noting that some objects have been lifted by the Chinese vessels, all of which have been returned to the Indonesian side.

Calling this mission an important humanitarian rescue operation, Tan said the Chinese military will continue its efforts to boost mutual trust and cooperation with regional counterparts.