BEIJING, May 7 -- Three salvage ships sent by the Chinese Navy have reached Bali Sea waters to help salvage the wreckage of Indonesian Navy submarine KRI Nanggala-402, that sank last month with 53 crewmembers on board, according to media reports on May 4. The diving depths of the three salvage ships can reach 4,500 meters underwater.

CCTV's military channel reported earlier that, among the three Chinese salvage vessels dispatched to Indonesia, the Yongxingdao (Hull 863), independently designed and built by China, has a full displacement of about 13,000 tons and mainly undertakes the missions of submarine assistance, shipwreck salvage, rescue and towing of wrecked surface ships.

Senior Colonel Ren Guoqiang, a spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, said on April 30 that the Chinese military expressed deep condolences to the victims of the sunken Indonesian submarine KRI Nanggala-402 and extended sincere sympathies to the bereaved families. Ren noted that, at the request of the Indonesian government, the Chinese military had sent vessels to relevant waters of the Lombok Strait to coordinate the Indonesian side in rescuing the sunken submarine.

On May 1, the Indonesian Navy said in a statement that it welcomed the Chinese Navy's humanitarian assistance to the Indonesian government. Indonesian Navy Chief of Staff Admiral Yudo Margono revealed to the press on April 30 about the progress of the salvage of the submarine and hoped the Chinese naval salvage ships would offer assistance in lifting the heaviest components of the wrecked submarine.