The key to de-risking Indo-Pacific subsea cables

Amid increasing concerns over espionage and geopolitical control, many countries are strategically bypassing Chinese subsea cables in the Indo-Pacific.

Complexities surrounding subsea cables – fiber optic cables laid on the ocean floor, used for transmitting data across continents in the Indo-Pacific – are deeply entangled with geopolitical, technological, and security issues.

Subsea cables are indispensable for global communications, transmitting over 97% of international data, including internet traffic, financial transactions, and government communications. This critical infrastructure forms the backbone of the digital economy, making it a critical asset and a point of contention.

Disruptions, strategic or natural, impact regional economies heavily reliant on fast and stable internet connectivity, especially post-pandemic, and underscore the significant geopolitical and logistical hurdles faced by the global subsea cable industry.

Geopolitical implications

While natural disasters such as earthquakes, undersea landslides and tsunamis can cause extensive damage to subsea cable networks by shifting the seabed, and in turn snapping or displacing cables, intentional sabotage represents a more pressing concern.

Strategic disruptions, such as the deliberate cutting of cables, can isolate countries or regions and have severe repercussions affecting global trade, financial markets, and critical military and economic data flows. Data interception and espionage are other ways in which strategic leverage can be obtained without disrupting cables.

Recent reports indicate that Chinese cable maintenance ships may be involved in tampering with international cables. It is estimated that subsea cables carry close to $10 trillion in