The development, first revealed in February 2025 in the Chinese-language journal Mechanical Engineering, was touted as a tool for civilian salvage and seabed mining. But the ability to sever communications lines 13,000 feet (4,000 meters) below the sea's surface ' far beyond the operational range of most existing infrastructure ' means that the tool can be used for other purposes with far-reaching implications for global communications and security. That is because undersea cables sustain the world's international internet traffic, financial transactions and diplomatic exchanges. Recent incidents of cable damage near Taiwan and in northern Europe have already raised concerns of these systems' vulnerabilities ' and suspicions about the role of state-linked actors. The growing sophistication and openness of underwater technology evidenced by the latest news from China suggest that undersea infrastructure may play a larger role in future strategic competition. Indeed, this development...
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