There are several submarine cable projects that have been announced by the world's leading technology companies such as Meta and Google. Through it, faster internet connections across continents can be enjoyed in addition to reducing congestion. Every time the cable is disconnected, the internet connection will be affected. Although submarine cables bring benefits to all users, several previously announced projects have been hampered by concerns of the Chinese government.
According to a Financial Times report, the submarine cable project that crosses the South China Sea is now delayed because China is worried about the risk of becoming a victim of espionage. Permits to conduct exploration near the waters of Taiwan and Hong Kong were not approved because China was worried it would be used by certain parties to install spying devices.
The SJC2 cable connecting Singapore to Japan was delayed for over a year because it had to go through Hong Kong and Taiwan. According to maritime law, a permit to install a submarine cable only needs to be applied for if it is within 12-200 nautical miles of a country's waters. But China has claimed a large part of the South China Sea as its territory for the past few years which complicates this process.
What China is doing can be seen as a way of showing their power as the United States imposes various technological restrictions on China. The sanctions were imposed because China was accused of spying on the U.S. When elephants and elephants fight, the deer dies in the middle. In this allegory, other countries around Southeast Asia become the deer that is squeezed.