The global internet depends on 600 undersea fiber-optic cables that carry $10 trillion in daily financial transactions across ocean floors — and China and Russia have the submarines to cut them.
Security experts are raising alarms about America’s vulnerability to undersea cable sabotage as President Trump prepares for upcoming talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping. A single coordinated attack could cripple international banking, disrupt supply chains, and cut off military communications between the United States and its allies.
The cables themselves are surprisingly fragile — about as thick as a garden hose in deep water. They carry 99 percent of intercontinental data traffic, including everything from stock trades to military orders. Most run through international waters where no country can effectively guard them.
China operates the world’s largest fleet of cable-laying ships and has invested heavily in undersea mapping technology. Russia maintains specialized submarines designed for deep-sea operations near critical infrastructure. Both nations have been observed conducting suspicious activity near cable routes in the Atlantic and Pacific.
The economic consequences would hit American families immediately. Credit card transactions could fail. Retirement accounts trading on international markets would freeze. Companies dependent on global supply chains — from automakers to pharmacies — would face immediate shortages as they lost contact with overseas suppliers and manufacturing facilities.
Military planners worry most about a coordinated strike timed with other hostile actions. Severing cables linking U.S. forces in Europe or the Pacific would leave commanders blind at the worst possible moment. NATO allies depend on these connections for intelligence sharing and coordinated defense.
The United States has few options for rapid repair. America operates only one cable repair ship on each coast, and fixing deep-sea cuts can take weeks. China could sever dozens of cables faster than Western nations could restore them.
Some cybersecurity officials advocate for increased satellite backup capacity and protected cable routes in shallower waters, but those solutions would cost billions and take years to implement. Others push for stronger international agreements protecting undersea infrastructure, though enforcing such rules against determined adversaries remains unclear.
The threat adds another dimension to Trump’s complex relationship with Beijing. Any meaningful agreement would require verification measures neither country has previously accepted — and trust both sides currently lack.
Key Points
- Six hundred undersea cables carry 99% of intercontinental data and $10 trillion in daily transactions
- China operates the world’s largest cable-laying fleet while Russia maintains specialized deep-sea submarines
- The U.S. has only two cable repair ships and would need weeks to fix coordinated sabotage affecting dozens of lines
https://www.foxnews.com/world/chinas-undersea-cable-threat-raises-10t-fears-trump-xi-talks-loom – May 11, 2026
