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Australia's defense‑funded report hypes risks to subsea cables to 'serve military goals'_我的网站

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Illustration: Liu Rui/GTA new report funded by Australia's Department of Defense played up security risks to submarine cables in the Indo-Pacific waters and pointed finger at China and some other countries over alleged undersea‑cable attacks in recent years, while claiming threats against subsea cables are growing. A Chinese expert said that accusing China without conclusive evidence constitutes "over‑securitization" made by Australian side, as well as a calculated pretext for its own military expansion.
Published by the National Security College at the Australian National University (ANU), the paper claimed recent damage to cables in the Baltic Sea and around China's Taiwan region suggests "state actors are now actively probing and testing cable infrastructure in peacetime as part of broader hybrid warfare strategies" to rapidly degrade connectivity at the outset of a conflict, The Australian reported.
The paper claimed 16 privately owned subsea cables that carry 99 percent of Australia's internet traffic are a "high priority target" for Australia's adversaries that could be severed in a conflict, threatening the nation's economy and social fabric, according to The Australian.
The report singled out China and Russia for blame, saying that there have been multiple apparent attacks on submarine cables in recent years in European waters as well as near China's Taiwan region, suspected to be linked to Russia and China, the Straits Times reported.
However, the report cites a 2025 voyage by Chinese research vessel Tan Suo Yi Hao along Australia's western and southern coastlines as evidence to back its claim that "potential adversaries are actively gathering information about Australia's cable infrastructure."
This report, relying on the routine scientific operations of a Chinese research vessel in 2025 to level allegations of offensive actions against China, and employing ambiguous terminology such as "suspected" and "potential," demonstrates Australia's evidentiary leap, Chen Hong, director of the Australian Studies Center of East China Normal University, told the Global Times on Monday.
This erroneous claim was refuted by the Chinese Foreign Ministry at the time. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on March 31, 2025 that China carries out normal activities at sea in accordance with international law, including UNCLOS.
"We hope Australia will have a right understanding of this and stop the groundless suspicion and speculations," Guo added.
This is not the first time certain Australian politicians has leveled baseless accusations of China intending to sabotage its undersea cables. Back in May, Defense Minister Richard Marles claimed during the Shangri-La Dialogue that China ought to boost transparency around its maritime operations. He also asserted that a surge in damage to subsea cables had transformed the seabed into a "battlefield," per The Australian.
Chen said Australian side's scaremongering is tied to its predictive threat‑perception framework forged in recent years. This framework designates China and other countries as strategic competitors in advance, subsequently forces routine scientific activities into a confrontational framework, Chen said.
Apart from unfounded allegations against China, the paper claims Australia's defense military "must incorporate the defense of submarine cable infrastructure into its operational planning," according to The Australian.
It added the government should also consider up¬grading an auxiliary ship operated by the navy, ADV Guidance, to enable it to repair damaged cables.
The vast majority of submarine cable damages are caused by accidental factors such as fishing operations and vessel anchoring, rather than deliberate sabotage. For suspected cases of intentional damage, independent technical investigation bodies should be established, and the principle of "investigate first, characterize later" should be strictly applied, so as to prevent ordinary maritime accidents from escalating into diplomatic conflicts, Chen said.
The core problem of Australian side's submarine cable security lies entirely with itself. Instead of addressing its own infrastructure shortcomings and improving its domestic protection and maintenance systems, the Australian side has chosen to continually exaggerate external threats and stoke bloc confrontation, the expert added.
Chen said that by fabricating alleged Chinese threats, Australian side seeks to "rationalize" its military spending increases and underwater force expansion. The submarine digital infrastructure originally meant to serve global development has been labeled along us versus them lines, and this constitutes the biggest hidden danger, he added.
。据中国气象局官微消息，4月19日8时至21日8时，贵州南部、江南南部、华南北部和中东部等地的部分地区出现暴雨到大暴雨、局地特大暴雨。中国气象局于4月18日8时30分启动暴雨三级应急响应。4月21日10时，中央气象台继续发布暴雨橙色预警、强对流天气黄色预警。　　多地累计降水量突破4月历史纪录，珠江流域北江发生2024年第2号洪水　　19日8时至21日8时，广西北部、广东中北部、湖南东南部、江西南部累计降水量达100毫米至200毫米，其中广西东北部、广东西北部达250毫米至350毫米，局地超过400毫米。最大小时降水量达40毫米至80毫米，广西南宁、广东茂名局地超过100毫米。

B | 20日8时30分至9时15分，广西壮族自治区梧州市藤县发生中等强度龙卷风（相当于最大瞬时风力达15级）。　　受强降水影响，珠江流域北江发生2024年第2号洪水。

C | 21日早晨，北江下游控制站石角水文站流量为14900立方米/秒，已经超过2024年第1号洪水，并在广西、广东造成多条中小河流水位超警戒水位，多地发生地质灾害。　　气象部门密切关注此次强降水过程，中国气象局与水利部联合发布山洪灾害气象风险提醒，并联合自然资源部提前启动2024年度全国地质灾害气象风险联合预警业务。广西、广东省（自治区）气象局与当地水利厅、自然资源厅联合发布山洪灾害与地质灾害气象风险预警。　　多重因素导致近期南方降雨偏多偏强，未来强降水过程多仍需加强防范　　中央气象台首席预报员马学款介绍，4月以来，副热带高压比常年同期偏强，有利于南海和孟加拉湾水汽向南方地区输送，同时高原槽和南支系统活跃，导致南方地区强降水过程频繁、降水持续时间偏长。另外，江南、华南等地气温比常年同期明显偏高，大气含水量丰富、不稳定能量高，导致对流发展旺盛、降雨强度高，多地累计降水量突破4月历史纪录。

D | 　　中央气象台预计，4月21日至22日，江南南部和东部、华南中东部和南部等地仍有强降水，局地有大暴雨并伴有雷暴大风或冰雹等强对流天气。

E | 23日，华南地区的降雨将明显减弱，但华南南部沿海部分地区仍有大到暴雨。

F | 另外，在25日前后，贵州、江南、华南等地还将有一次较强降水过程。　　马学款提示，未来几天，我国南方地区强降水过程多、局地雨强大，并可能伴有风雹天气，公众需及时关注当地气象部门发布的预报预警信息，在强降水时段减少外出，避免在山涧、河道等低洼地带逗留，注意防雨防雷电，防范山洪、滑坡、泥石流等次生灾害风险。相关部门要注意城市低洼地带及时排水，加固户外设施，防范强风对临时搭建物、高空作业装置和人员、航运等的安全威胁。