China purchased former Russian submarines according to the Dutch newspaper Leeuwarder courant dated 25 April 1971

An item referred to the British newspaper Sunday Telegraph which reported that China on short notice would posses in the Mediterranean over four Russian manufactured submarines, The four submarines were in the past left behind in Albany by the Soviet Union but scrapped of the complete inventory, equipment and armament. In the past eight years were the submarines again fitted out by Chinese engineers at the base at the island Saseno. Although Albany-flagged were the crews mainly consisting of Chinese sailors.