Sino Strategies: China's Influence & its Implications for the U.S.

Image Credit: Ander Gillenea/AFP via Getty Images

Summary

• China has unveiled a deep-sea tool capable of cutting undersea cables, officially for civilian use, but its potential military applications raise concerns, especially given China’s history of interference and aggression in the South China Sea.
• The U.S. may need to strengthen alliances in the Indo-Pacific to counter potential threats, while businesses should remain aware of China’s dual-use tech advancements and the economic uncertainties they pose.

China’s Deep-Sea Cable-Cutter

China recently unveiled a device that is capable of severing deep-sea communications cables and power lines. The technology is allegedly not designed for the purpose of severing cables — the China Ship Scientific Research Centre (CSSRC), which designed the instrument, says it was created as a tool for civilian salvage and seabed mining — but the versatility and potential dual-use case of the tool could be cause for concern. 

Interest in the new tool stems in part from the message that Beijing is trying to send. For one, Beijing’s promotion of this technology likely serves to demonstrate China’s ability to domestically develop cutting-edge technology. It also likely serves as an assertion of China’s deterrence capabilities, without the need for actual conflict. 

Chinese Interference

The attention that the CSSRC’s new tool is receiving also stems from prior incidents involving Chinese actors cutting through undersea cables underpinning Taiwan’s communication infrastructure. China has also become increasingly aggressive in the South China Sea and has made no commitments to back off from its aggressive stance in the region. 

China has pursued many avenues to spread its influence around the world, from foreign election interference in the U.S. and Taiwan to data privacy and surveillance concerns, not to mention the CCP’s promotion of specific Chinese companies like Huawei abroad. 

The CSSRC’s undersea device could be as harmless as advertised, but given the context of China’s global posturing, this new technology could sound international alarms. 

Implications for the U.S.

1. U.S. Policy Implications

To continue to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, the U.S. could seek to reinforce multilateral engagement with Taiwan and other countries with strategic interests in the South China Sea. U.S. foreign policymakers could also seek to engage more meaningfully with security organizations in the region, including the Quad, to encourage peace at sea and defend the rule of law in the region. 

2. U.S. Business Implications

For American businesses, China’s new technology serves as a reminder that China possesses cutting edge tech development capabilities, and at the same time the People’s Republic is the source of political instability and economic uncertainty, especially in the Asia-Pacific region. 

3. U.S. Consumer Implications

The direct implications of China’s new cable-cutting technology for the day-to-day lives of U.S. consumers are, fortunately, not significantly impactful. Nevertheless, the fact that China possesses this technology means it could be used to impact U.S. consumer interests and capacity for wireless communication.