How America is pushing China out of the internet
The internet is often seen as a global and borderless network of information and communication, but the reality is much more complex and contested. The physical infrastructure that underpins the internet consists of millions of kilometers of submarine cables that carry data across oceans and continents. These cables are vital for the functioning of the global economy, politics, and culture, but they are also vulnerable to interference, sabotage, and surveillance.
In recent years, the United States has been increasingly concerned about the growing presence and influence of China in the submarine cable market. China has been investing in building and operating its own cables, as well as participating in international consortiums that lay and maintain cables around the world. The US fears that China could use its access to submarine cables to spy on or disrupt the communications of its rivals, allies, and partners. The US also worries that China could leverage its cable assets to advance its geopolitical interests and challenge the US-led order in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.
To counter China’s ambitions, the US has been using various legal, diplomatic, and technological means to push China out of the internet’s plumbing. The US has blocked or delayed several cable projects that involved Chinese companies or connected to Chinese territories, citing national security concerns. For example, the US prevented China Mobile from joining a consortium that planned to build a cable linking California to Singapore, Malaysia, and Hong Kong. The United States also withdrew its approval for a cable that would have connected Los Angeles to Hong Kong, even though most of the cable had already been laid. Also pressure was put on American allies to exclude Chinese companies from their cable projects, such as Australia, which banned Huawei from supplying equipment for its domestic and international cables.
The US Government has also been investing in alternative cable routes and technologies that would bypass or reduce its dependence on China. Support and approval has been given to the development of new cables that would connect the US to Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Africa, without passing through Chinese waters or landing stations. Other avenues have been explored such as the possibility of using satellites, drones, or balloons to provide wireless internet access to remote or contested areas, such as the Arctic or the South China Sea. The US has also been working on enhancing the security and resilience of its existing cables, by deploying more ships and sensors to monitor and protect them, and by developing encryption and quantum technologies to prevent or detect tampering.
The US-China rivalry over submarine cables is part of a broader competition over the future of the internet and the global order. The US wants to preserve its dominance and influence over the internet, which it sees as a source of innovation, freedom, and prosperity. China wants to challenge the US and assert its own vision and interests, which it sees as more aligned with its sovereignty, stability, and development. The outcome of this contest will have significant implications for the world, as the internet is not only a medium of communication, but also a platform of governance, commerce, and culture.
