The United States has drafted a “New York Joint Statement” that it plans to sign with its European allies on the margins of the ongoing United Nations General Assembly, the aim of which is to promote “reliable and trusted cable components and services” and “encourage undersea cable network service providers and operations and maintenance providers to have transparent ownership, partnerships, and corporate governance structures”. Many see that as a move to edge Chinese businesses out of the global undersea cable supply chain.
Although around 99 percent of international data passes through it, China has never been involved or sabotaged any international submarine cable network. On the contrary, it was the US that sent sailors and marines to cut submarine telegraph cables between Spain and the Philippines and Cuba to secure its victory in the US’ 1898 war with Spain. Reportedly, 51 of the 112 Congressional Medals of Honor awarded in the Spanish-American War went to those who cut the cables.
The US has mastered the art of stealing data from undersea cables. The Seawolf-class nuclear-powered submarines designed in 1983 and first deployed in 1997 can intercept data in undersea cables, while according to a US media report, the USS Jimmy Carter can “float above these fiber-optic cables… and physically cut into them, intercepting the vast data streams”.
So, the US trying to suppress Chinese enterprises in the undersea cable supply chain in the name of national security is a classic case of a “thief crying stop thief”.
The US wants to deprive countries the right to develop the submarine cable industry and independently choose submarine cable suppliers. China opposes the move and will defend the legitimate rights of Chinese enterprises. The US’ hegemonic actions will fail.