Senators Warn of China’s Expanding Role in Undersea Sabotage

‘The Chinese military has conducted research into cable‑cutting technologies,’ said Sen. Jim Risch.

Sen. Jim Risch (R-Idaho) leaves the Senate Chambers during a series of votes in the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington on May 11, 2022. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

A Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on April 30 issued one of the strongest congressional warnings to date about China’s growing role in suspected undersea cable sabotage, with lawmakers and witnesses urging the United States and its allies to adopt a more assertive deterrence posture in both the Baltic Sea and the Indo‑Pacific.

The hearing, titled “Sabotage in the Baltic Sea: Implications for European Security and Lessons for the Indo‑Pacific,” examined a series of cable and pipeline disruptions in Northern Europe since 2022. While many incidents have been linked to Russian vessels, senators repeatedly emphasized that the Chinese regime is now exhibiting similar patterns of behavior, particularly around Taiwan.