Chinese research vessels loiter near Pacific undersea cables more than any other nation, report finds

China is spending more time loitering near undersea cables in the Pacific Ocean than any other nation, according to a report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a U.S.-based think tank in Washington, DC. The analysis compared the behavior of 200 research vessels from 47 different nations, including the U.S. and Russia, and found that Chinese vessels spent a "statistically significant larger share of time" near critical infrastructure.

The analysis, reported by Indo-Pacific Defense Forum, notes that Chinese activity was particularly suspicious in this regard. It notes that the "persistent and disproportionate activity" means that China "may be leveraging its research fleet for underwater data collection that may aid... analysis of terrain for sabotage or submarine operations."

Civilian research vessels provide a unique cover for states looking for "plausible deniability" for their research gathering activities. …