A new annual report from the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission delivered to United States Congress claims that the People’s Republic of China is actively developing techniques and technologies to sever undersea communications cables as part of its “gray zone” strategy. Undersea cables carry up to 95% of global internet traffic, and the commission links China’s efforts to the potential disruption of global communications in a future conflict.
In the report’s chapter on security and foreign affairs, Commission analysts state that Chinese science institutions affiliated with the People’s Liberation Army have been acquiring patents and researching methods to cut deep-sea cables cheaply and efficiently. A public disclosure by the China Ship Scientific Research Center earlier this year introduced an “electric cutting device for deep‑sea cables” capable of severing armored lines under more than 13,000 feet of water.
