China's undersea cable threat could shake $10 trillion global market

Experts have warned that China's potential attacks on undersea communication cables could cause severe disruption to the global economy, valued at $10 trillion. These cables are identified as a 'vulnerability' capable of paralyzing internet, financial, energy, and military communication networks. Undersea cables transmit 99% of the world's data and support financial transactions worth up to $10 trillion daily.

In recent years, Taiwan has reported approximately 30 undersea cable incidents, including claims that Chinese vessels have severed cables. Analysis suggests these actions are not mere accidents but part of 'gray-zone' operations aimed at testing Western responses without crossing the threshold of war.

Andrew Badger has termed such actions 'pure hybrid warfare,' adding that their purpose is to weaken adversaries without a declaration of war. In preparation for such scenarios, a 'Strategic Undersea Cable Act' has been co-sponsored in the United States, aiming to enhance the security and resilience of critical undersea infrastructure.