China picks its lowest-scoring officers to command nuclear submarines

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Chinese submarine officers — except for engineers — tend to have the lowest entry exam scores. The lack of selectivity is remarkable. Submarines are likely to be critical in a conflict. Advertisement The job of commanding a nuclear submarine should go to smart and well-qualified officers. Or at least that's the case in Western navies. Not so in the Chinese navy. Chinese submarine officers — except for engineers — tend to come from candidates with the lowest college entrance test scores, according to a US analyst. This suggests that People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) sub commanders are not the best...