China Urged to Safeguard Underwater Cables from Sabotage Threats

• •China is urged to create laws to protect its underwater fibre-optic cables.
• •Undersea cables are critical for 99% of global intercontinental data transmission.
• •Existing laws do not adequately address the physical security of seabed infrastructure.

Amid rising global concerns over the protection of critical underwater infrastructure, China has been advised to legislate specific protections for its underwater fibre-optic cables. This recommendation comes from Guo Ran, a law professor at Shanghai Maritime University, highlighting the vulnerability of these cables that transmit 99% of intercontinental data. Key maritime chokepoints like the Red Sea and the Baltic Sea are particularly at risk. Current Chinese laws, including the Data Security Law and Cybersecurity Law, focus on data management rather than the physical security of seabed infrastructure. The call for new legislation reflects the growing recognition of grey-zone warfare tactics that threaten these vital resources.