Thayer Consultancy Background Briefing:

ABN # 65 648 097 123

South China Sea: Chinas Sound
Surveillance System?
Carlyle A. Thayer
May 29, 2017

[client name deleted]

We bring to your attention the following article published in the South China Morning
Post: http://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy-defence/article/2096066/china-
plans-undersea-observation-system-science-and. Is this a big deal in terms of Beijings
military and security operation in the South China Sea? Or is it more of a scientific
operation?
ANSWER: There are two aspects of China's decision to lay an underwater system in
the South China Sea. First it is legal under international law. But it also a further
unilateral assertion of China's claim to indisputable sovereignty over the South China
Sea, particularly if undersea cables are placed on the seabed in disputed areas or are
linked to facilities on any of China's artificial islands.
Second, note the remarks by Zhou Huaiyang, professor with School of Marine and
Earth Sciences, Tongji University (in your reference). Significantly he was quoted as
stating "After its establishment, this system can also have some radiation [check
translation] effects in other sectors, such as mining, mapping or ocean rights
protection and national defense [emphasis added]." In other words, China could use
the cover story for this undersea network to lay sensors designed to detect the
movement of surface warships and submarines in particular.
The US has emplaced SOSUS (sound surveillance systems) from Japan and the first
island chain. It is unclear how far this extends south. The US system is designed to
detect the movement of Chinese submarines, increasingly nuclear attack and nuclear
ballistic missile submarines. China has moved to evade the SOSUS system by basing
submarines on Hainan island and deploying south.
China's assertiveness in the South China Sea has led several littoral states to acquire
submarines. Singapore upgraded its fleet. Malaysia and Vietnam both acquired
submarines for the first time. Vietnam's six enhanced Kilo-class submarines are of
particular concern to China. From China's point of view it needs accurate information
not only on the deployment and patrols of regional submarines, but US nuclear
submarines as well.
China's underwater system will serve a strategic purpose. This is a "big deal" because
it marks a major advancement in extending China's maritime domain awareness to
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submarine movements below the surface. This mitigates the stealth advantage that
submarines have. This would be of direct concern to the United States and other
regional states that operate submarines.
At the same time, China's undersea system could easily be tapped into by the United
States. Such activities were routine during the Cold War.

Suggested citation: Carlyle A. Thayer, South China Sea: Chinas Underwater Sound
Surveillance System?, Thayer Consultancy Background Brief, May 29, 2017. All
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Thayer Consultancy provides political analysis of current regional security issues and
other research support to selected clients. Thayer Consultancy was officially
registered as a small business in Australia in 2002.