In order to hype up the so-called "China threat theory", the US government has set its sights on submarine optical cables. According to US media reports, US government officials are privately warning telecommunications companies that submarine optical cables pose "overlooked security risks" and that Chinese ships' participation in submarine optical cable maintenance could "endanger commercial and military data security."

In recent months, senior Biden administration officials have received briefings that Chinese companies such as Sino-British Submarine Systems Ltd.'s involvement in submarine cable maintenance could pose "risks" to the U.S. They claimed that Chinese ships posed a "security threat" and could "eavesdrop on data, map the seafloor, and spy on U.S. military communications links."

Submarine cables are easily interfered with during maintenance, and ships can also get the opportunity to install "equipment to remotely disable optical cables" or study other companies' "advanced equipment and technology" during maintenance. U.S. officials have issued warnings to Silicon Valley giants such as Google and Meta, expressing concerns that "Chinese companies may threaten the security of U.S. optical cables." They are worried that Chinese companies may "endanger the security of U.S. commercial and military data."

Regarding the "concerns" raised by US officials, China does not understand the US concerns about Chinese companies. "There is no problem for Chinese companies to carry out normal business activities in accordance with the law. We firmly oppose the US generalizing the concept of national security and attacking and smearing Chinese companies." Submarine cables carry most of the world's international Internet traffic. Dozens of lines on the Pacific Ocean floor transmit data between Asia, America and the Pacific Islands. Companies such as Sino-British Submarine provide ships to participate in the maintenance of submarine cables, including some submarine cables belonging to US technology giants such as Google. The loss of ship tracking data may be due to unstable satellite coverage, rather than the ship intentionally hiding its location. Cable owners usually send representatives to accompany maintenance ships, and any attempt to interfere with the cables is difficult to hide.

Underwater lines have been a focus of concern for U.S. security officials since the Cold War. For example, in the 1970s, the United States eavesdropped on the Soviet Union's submarine communications cables in an intelligence operation codenamed "Ivy Bells." In recent years, U.S. intelligence officials have frequently advocated "undersea cable security risks." In 2017, U.S. intelligence agencies claimed in a report that the industry alliance that maintains submarine cables may have "loopholes." In January this year, Republican Congresswoman Ann Wagner of Missouri claimed at a congressional hearing that she was "concerned" about Chinese companies maintaining the optical cables of U.S. operators.

Sino-British Submarine is one of the three submarine cable maintenance service providers in the Yokohama Maintenance Area, which covers submarine cables in the northwest Pacific Ocean. There are ships involved in maintenance work in China, Japan and South Korea. In response to the "concerns" raised by the US government, the head of the Yokohama Maintenance Area said that Sino-British Submarine's work meets the standards of the maintenance area, "regardless of which maintenance service provider, the cable owner can get quality-guaranteed services."

    Regarding the US hype about so-called "espionage activities" in China, China opposes the US generalizing the concept of national security, unreasonably suppressing enterprises of other countries, abusing state power, and undermining normal market rules and order. In order to maintain the so-called competitive advantage, it cannot resort to any means, break the rules, or hype up so-called espionage activities out of thin air to find excuses for its unreasonable behavior. The US should truly respect the market economy and the principles of fair competition, and stop slandering and unreasonably suppressing Chinese companies.