China Moves to Legislate Protection for Undersea Data Cables

Shanghai Maritime University law professor Guo Ran has urged Beijing to adopt a specific law safeguarding its underwater fibre‑optic cables. While China already enforces a Data Security Law and a Cybersecurity Law that regulate data processing and cross‑border flows, physical seabed infrastructure remains largely unregulated.

Guo notes that undersea cables carry about 99 % of global intercontinental data and are vital to the Digital Silk Road, AI systems and other digital services. He warns of growing sabotage risks in chokepoints such as the Red Sea and the Baltic Sea and argues that existing international frameworks, including UNCLOS, do not adequately address modern grey‑zone threats. A new legal provision would give coastal, flag and landing states clearer jurisdiction and defence capabilities for these critical assets.