China's first nuclear submarine decommissioned

Beijing: China's first nuclear-powered submarine has been decommissioned after more than 40 years of military service, naval authorities said on Sunday.

After undergoing a thorough denuclearisation process, the submarine was towed to a wharf belonging to the Chinese Navy Museum in Qingdao city of Shandong province on Saturday, where it will be a public exhibit, Xinhua news agency reported.

The submarine's release from military service and the safe, thorough and reliable handling of related nuclear waste, nuclear reactor and other devices showed China's life-cycle maintenance ability, ranging from a nuclear submarine's production, operation, management to disposal, the naval authorities said.