As tensions escalate in the Red Sea, the crisis has spread from the surface to the depths of the sea. Recently, a number of authorities confirmed that at least four important communication cables connecting Asia and Europe were damaged on the bottom of the Red Sea, resulting in a serious impact on data transmission between Asia and Europe, directly affecting 25% of the data traffic between the two places.
The background to this event is quite complicated. Earlier, Houthi rebels had made harsh remarks on social media and threatened to sabotage communication cables under the Red Sea. However, after the cable was damaged, the Houthis quickly absolved themselves of responsibility, claiming that they had nothing to do with it. At the same time, the Houthi freighter Rubimar sank into the sea on March 2, causing immeasurable damage to the ecology of the Red Sea with tens of thousands of tons of fertilizer and large quantities of fuel oil on board.
The ongoing conflict in the Red Sea, and the United Kingdom, the United States and other countries' strikes on Houthi-controlled areas have not achieved the desired results, which has made the security risks of the Red Sea shipping lanes continue to rise. The game between the United States and Britain and the Houthis in the Red Sea seems to have reached a "dead end", and both sides are trying to protect their interests through different means.
Under the influence of the damage to communication cables, many telecom operators have said that there are serious problems with the communication lines connecting Asia and Europe. Hong Kong telecommunications company and Kee Global Communications revealed that among the damaged cables were critical lines that carry 80% of Asia's westward telecommunications traffic. In order to reduce the disruption to customers, the company is urgently adjusting communication routes and looking for alternatives.
Responsibility for the damage remains unclear, and the Houthis, while denying involvement in the damage, have not provided conclusive evidence to support their claims. Against this backdrop, it becomes extremely difficult to investigate the incident and draw convincing conclusions.
It is worth noting that among the damaged cables is the Asia-Africa-Europe 1 submarine cable system (AAE-1), which is led by China Unicom, which is important for the transmission of global Internet traffic. However, as of now, China Unicom has not released any news on the operation of the cable.
Repairing damaged cables also presents a number of challenges. Since the area where the incident occurred is controlled by Yemen** and the Houthis respectively, the repair work needs to apply for permits from both sides at the same time, which greatly increases the difficulty and cost of repairs. In addition, operating in risky waters is inherently fraught with hazards, and the cost of insurance for the vessels involved is prohibitively high.
The Red Sea is one of the three most important cable junctions in the world, and this incident once again highlights the vulnerability of global communications at critical nodes. As with international shipping logistics, any accident can have a significant impact on global communications. In the future, how to strengthen the protection and maintenance of key communication facilities will become a common challenge for all countries.