Chinese patents reveal aim to cut undersea cables/"multiple technical patents that Chinese engineers applied for to conduct [.] subsea cable cutting operation only adds to [.] suspicion [.] Beijing [.] is developing technical options for[.] subsea warfare" https://t.co/XW3ZilS2Zh
— David Criekemans (@DavidCriekemans) January 11, 2025
A team of engineers from Lishui University in China’s coastal Zhejiang province applied for a patent for a “dragging type submarine cable cutting device” in 2020. The patent application builds on another device developed in the late 2000s by marine engineers from the State Oceanic Administration of China in the South China Sea, described as an “ocean towing type cutting device.” However, records show that both applications were either rejected or withdrawn, with no reason given for these actions. The revelation comes amid recent reports of undersea cable damage incidents, suspected to have been carried out by vessels linked to China and Russia.
Newsweek found out that there are several Chinese patent applications for devices to cut undersea cables https://t.co/lA1aQCO9KY
— Joerg Lau (@joerglau) January 11, 2025
The most recent incident, reported in early January, involved a cable directly connecting Taiwan to the U.S. West Coast, Japan, South Korea, and China. In their patent application, the Lishui University authors wrote, “With the development of science and technology, more and more submarine cables and communication cables are laid on the seabed of all parts of the world and the cables need to be cut off in some emergency situations. The traditional cutting method needs first to detect the position of the cables, then excavate and salvage them for cutting.
This process is complex, a lot of expensive equipment is needed, and the cost is too high.
The Shunxing apparently intruded in Taiwan’s territorial waters for three months before damaging submarine cables https://t.co/BIXFUhZfKG
— Brian Hioe 丘琦欣 (@brianhioe) January 12, 2025
Concerns over undersea cable sabotage
There is a need for a fast, low-cost cutting apparatus for submarine cables to accomplish this task.”
The SOA’s patent application, on the other hand, cites the need to destroy illegal cables off China’s coast.
Nearly 95% of global communication relies on undersea cables, making this infrastructure crucial to modern society. These submarine wires carry not only voice communications but also data, forming the physical backbone of the World Wide Web. Some undersea cables also transmit power, which could impact a country’s national grid.
A Norwegian expert, who wished to remain anonymous, expressed concern over the existence of these patent applications, stating that these tools work randomly at best and could damage other useful cables. Benjamin Schmitt of the University of Pennsylvania’s Kleinman Center for Energy Policy told Newsweek, “The fact that there are multiple technical patents that Chinese engineers applied for to conduct such a subsea cable cutting operation only adds to the suspicion that Beijing may not only have the motivation but is also actively developing technical options for completing these sorts of subsea warfare operations in the future.”
Taiwan, an island nation heavily reliant on undersea cables for communication with the rest of the world, is particularly worried about this capability. The cable-cutting incidents occur in international waters and are carried out by allegedly civilian ships with unclear registration and ownership records.
While efforts are underway to protect these vital cables, it will likely take years, if not decades, to fully implement a system that safeguards all submarine cables.
