China's cable cutting machines claim to be clearer

Last week, China demonstrated its strength in undersea weapons, information warfare or both. On March 24, a title propaganda in China morning said: “China reveals a powerful deep-sea cable car that can relocate the world order.” The article allegedly reveals new technology that can cut the thickest, armored submarine cable up to 4,000 meters, the operational depth of most existing submarine communication infrastructure. Although the article reports that the technology was developed for scientific research purposes, it notes that advances could “shake global marine dynamics dynamics”, particularly suggesting part of the conflict with the United States, which could suggest Guam’s ability to cut the transPacific cable. Global news sources quickly put forward the story. However, there are still questions about whether the cutter is a technical threat or most of the hype. A closer look at the announcement and its context raises questions about China's true capabilities and intentions.

First, the timing of the announcement is questionable. Cable cutting technology was first announced in China Magazine Mechanical Engineering on February 24, a month before the SCMP report. During this period, on February 25, Taiwan grabbed an unregistered Togolese ship after cutting a cable off the Taiwan coast. This incident marks the fifth cable cutting incident reported by Taiwan in 2025, with three in 2024 and 2023. The ship failed to respond to seven calls from the Taiwan Coast Guard as it wandered around the cut cable for several days. When the Taiwan Coast Guard boarded the plane, they found evidence of cable damage. Beijing denied its familiarity with the February 25 incident and said it had “has nothing to do with China's diplomacy.”

Technology, timing and message mismatch about cable cutters

Diplomatic reasons may explain why SCMP has not touted China's new cable tailoring technology for a month. However, the mismatch between Chinese technology and the reality of cutting cables remains a mystery. According to the International Cable Protection Commission, its members account for more than 98% of the global submarine telecommunications cable infrastructure, and cables with a depth of 4,000 meters are not usually armored or reinforced in the manner of this advanced cable cutting technology. The armor or reinforcement of this deep-sea cable can backfire and cause them to break. China's technology has not been independently verified. Maritime analyst Colin Koh pointed out that even if China's technology exists, it may not be operating yet.

Then there is the message from China itself. China strongly denies any involvement in submarine cables around Taiwan or around the Haizhou of Barrow. China also denies that cable cutting technology is for military purposes. In response to the Western alert of the SCMP article, Chinese Embassy spokesman Liu Pengyu told Newsweek: “We oppose unfounded attacks and smears against China. The tool was developed independently by China and used in marine scientific research. The United States and some European countries also have similar technologies. China attaches great importance to protecting the mainland infrastructure and will continue to work with international communities to protect submarine cables.” Therefore, formally, China does not want itself to be portrayed as a vicious cable car.

Is cable cutters more than just hype?

So is China's technology worth hype? If not, is Beijing’s purpose to create this breaking news?

Australian think tank Lowy Institute advises and economic motivations. Lowy noted that competitors’ perceptions of China’s threat could lead to strict new regulations requiring such armor, which would drive manufacturing and operational costs, thereby benefiting China indirectly. Deterrence can also be a powerful motivation.

The chaos of sowing on its capabilities could also be an effective information war in China. Regardless of the authenticity of the cable car report, China's technological advances that can be used for military purposes pose inherent risks. China's civil integration strategy enables it to leverage rapid and state-required military goals to leverage civilian technological interests. Democratic countries and free market economies often cannot move seamlessly as quickly as possible. Many technologies for civilian purposes are built through dual-use capabilities with the aim of using them for invasion of Taiwan. For example, rolling rolling ferries, commonly used to transport cars, are being built for military specifications and are seen as potential use in the Taiwan invasion, undermining the principle of distinction at the heart of the law of war. China's dual-use shipyards and newly developed landing barges have also attracted international attention in recent weeks. China's complex military integration is its disregard for international law and its international norms that safeguard international trade and maritime freedom. China's cable cutting machines may or may not cause alarms themselves. Before overreacting, the United States must cut the hype.