Philippine Coast Guard Says Chinese Survey Ships Appear to Be Mapping Undersea Cable Routes Near the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan
The coast guard says one vessel spent days in Philippine waters without permission and was backed by two Chinese Coast Guard ships. Breitbart's account leans on Japanese reports and a congressional advisory panel's study.
The Philippine Coast Guard said Sunday that Chinese research vessels have been seen near the Philippines, Taiwan and Japan, apparently surveying the routes of undersea cables without permission from the governments there, Breitbart reports.
The Batanes incident. The coast guard pointed to a Chinese ship, the Jia Hai Ke 7, that spent several days inside the Philippines' exclusive economic zone around the Batanes Islands without permission. When patrol craft went to escort the "privately owned" vessel out, two Chinese Coast Guard ships appeared to defend it. The Batanes are Manila's northernmost territory, less than 100 miles from Taiwan at the closest point. Breitbart notes the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences said at a June symposium that the islands should be seen as part of Taiwan.
Japan and Taiwan. Citing Japan News, Breitbart says Chinese research vessels have made sharp turns in waters off Japan since 2024, apparently while tracking cables, and that on Sunday four Chinese survey ships were seen off Taiwan making "irregular moves." In February 2025, a Chinese cargo ship following a zigzag course over a cable severed it by dragging its anchor. A September report for a panel advising Congress, by the U.K.-based China Strategic Risks Institute, found Beijing could attack cables using robotics and unmanned underwater vehicles through cooperation between the military and private companies.
Why it matters, per Breitbart. The cables run through the "First Island Chain," the arc from Japan to the Philippines and Indonesia. Breitbart says a coordinated attack could knock out more than 90 percent of the world's online communications. Japan's prime minister, Sanae Takaichi, called the cables "indispensable critical infrastructure" and has budgeted for more surveillance. The Philippines is coordinating with Taiwan and Japan on cable protection but avoids naming China in its statements on "gray-zone" tactics. The law of the sea treaty discourages the surveying but has no real enforcement mechanism, Breitbart says.
What we could not check. The coast guard's statement and the survey intent are allegations, and "apparently" is Breitbart's word. China's response to this report is not included. The 90 percent estimate and the sabotage scenarios are the outlet's and the cited institute's, and we have not reviewed the underlying studies.