China, invoking transparency, has given the world a glimpse of its military strength and capability when it decommissioned on Tuesday its first nuclear-powered submarine after 40 years of service.

It was the first time that China admitted and showed the world its military arsenal and prowess. However, whatever nuclear-powered submarine arsenal China has established was being maintained more as a "defense only" mechanism, according to Wang Xiaoxuan, director of Naval Research Institute of the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

Equipped with rocket launchers that can fire beneath the water, the decommissioned first nuclear-powered submarine of China was launched in 1970, known as the Long March (Changzheng) No. 1, the PLA Daily, official paper of China's armed forces, reported.

It was subsequently commissioned in 1974 to the PLA Navy.

After its release from military service, the submarine will be turned over to a museum to be used as an exhibit, the newspaper added.

Video Source: Youtube/ GNC Global News Channel

Long March 1 were from the Type 091 or Han class nuclear attack submarines. It has short-range weapons. This type of nuclear-powered submarine was produced based on technologies prevailing during the 1950s and 1960s.

"The big advantages of nuclear submarines as missile platforms is they can hide in deep water, where current technology is still not very effective in detecting them, and they can stay submerged for a long time," Mr Wang told China Daily.

"These characteristics have made nuclear submarines strategic weapons of deterrence and they play a key role in national defense. By owning a nuclear submarine fleet, a nation can almost guarantee it will have the ability to respond in case of attack, thus deterring possible rivals from launching any strikes."

China, it must be noted, forms part of the United Nations Security Council's five permanent members, along with US, Russia, the United Kingdom and France. All of them have nuclear submarines, and continue to develop and upgrade such.

"China wanted a strong navy and nuclear submarine fleet to act as deterrents to any future invasions... In the days of the Cold War, nuclear submarines were of key importance in preventing nuclear blackmails by the US and former Soviet Union, both of which were antagonist toward China."

"The US and Russia have the most advanced nuclear submarines, while the UK and France have the second best," Mr Wang pointed out.

"China's nuclear submarine technology lags behind all of them, especially in their information and power systems. So it is ridiculous to talk an inferior member of the nuclear submarine club being a threat."

Video Source: Youtube/ euronews (in English)