underwater

an underwater YangWang, a 29-meter dune and a car that turns on its own

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The circuit seems taken from the dream of a megalomaniacal engineer: A gigantic dune indoors. A 70 meter pool for cars, not for humans. An impeccable and very wide asphalt route. A gymkhana off road with unevenness, slopes, gravel… BYD has called it Racing Trackwe have gone to Zhengzhou to see it (and test it), and it is much more than a circuit: it is a declaration of intent on the part of its manufacturer, and a not-so-subtle signal of the role it wants to occupy. Not in China, but in the world. Is permanently tighten muscleis throwing the gauntlet to Europe and the United States to see if they keep up. And for us, it is the key to understanding how this manufacturer has gone from a local phenomenon to a world leader in five years. The U8 dune The interior dune is the pride of the complex: 29 meters high, 28 degrees inclined, more than six thousand tons of sand from the Alxa desert. Guinness has certified it as the largest indoor building in the world. He Yangwang U8a luxury SUV with four electric motors, was in charge of climbing it. Of course, a local driver was behind the wheel. On the sides of the dune, dozens of journalists waiting for the climb like a child waiting to open gifts the night before Three Kings Day. Image: Xataka. Image provided. Image: Xataka. Image provided. At one point, the pilot honked his horn and accelerated hard to scale the sand wall. A five-meter tank that went with an unnatural calm. Not a skid, not a hesitation. Just an electrical hum. Another honk, and the descent. Applause and that feeling of celebration of raw power. We missed hitting each other in the chest making simian gestures. But there was something else: that iconic Pirelli advertisement said that “power without control is useless”, and that aphorism fits perfectly here. The U8 is pure power, but full of control. Symbolism. Where cars breathe The next stop was the wading pool, a 70 meter long pond created for the U8. This time we didn’t drive either, but we were inside while the pilot submerged the car in the water. Upon detecting a certain depth, the car automatically raised the windows and opened the sunroof, two safety measures to prevent water from entering the cabin and to facilitate escape if necessary, respectively. Image provided. Image provided. Image provided. Image provided. From there, the motors work like turbines in each wheel. They keep the car afloat and also allow you to steer it. It was impressive to see the water almost at the height of our window. From there, a gentle 180º turn and return to the shore. Science fiction for a amphibious SUV. That said, this function is intended as a response to an emergency such as flooding. It is not something the manufacturer recommends doing for fun. The dune was fun, but The one in the pool was the most hypnotic moment of the dayalthough with a bitter aftertaste due to memories of DANA. But for extreme situations like that this function is supposed to be there. From water to dust with the Denza B5 After the show, it was our turn at the Off-Road Parkan area with 27 difficulty scenarios. We did it, not completely, at the wheel of the Denza B5, the SUV that will arrive in Spain under that brand – although in China it is sold as Fang Cheng Bao 5 -. A competitor to the Land Cruiser that, depending on its price (it will arrive in Spain) will manage to put Toyota in more or less trouble, but in any case it will be noticed. If you don’t know Denza yet, keep his name: technological luxury that has no reason to have any complexes. Image provided. Image provided. Image provided. The assigned circuit was easy: ramps designed to put the car on two wheels, notable inclinations, bridge crossings and areas of complicated relief. Even so, the B5 moved with solvency. Instant electric all-wheel drive and obstacle-filtering suspension with the aplomb of a veteran off-roader. Patrol, is that you? It was not a risky experience, but it served as a symbolic demonstration: Chinese electric cars are no longer only looking for efficiency. They also want to be the most versatile. This one is. And it was extremely easy to drive in those environments even for someone like me, with no experience off-road. The scary crab: Denza Z9 GT The turn of the Denza Z9 GTthe saloon shooting brake that BYD has launched against the Taycan and the Panamera. But we didn’t test it on curves, but on something more disturbing: the crab walk and the U-shaped turn, 180 degrees in static. He crab walk —advancing diagonally like a crab—is a fair trick until you see it in action. You accelerate forward and the car slides sideways, defying all visual logic. It takes a few seconds for the brain to accept that the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction to the front wheels. It is useful for parallel parking without maneuvering. It’s unsettling to drive. And it attracts looks of bewilderment. Image provided. Image provided. But the static 180 degree turn was straight up surreal. Standing still, without moving an inch, The Z9 GT pivots on its own axis until it turns completely around. The four wheels rotate independently, locking one of the front wheels, the car rotates like in a video game and you, inside, only hear the hum of the engines while the world spins outside the window. There’s no need. It is not practical on a day-to-day basis, if perhaps at some specific moment where we do not have an angle to deface a mess But it’s the kind of technological excess that separates a good car from a statement of intent. Of course, it does not seem advisable to play with it too much for the sake of our support tire. “Mickey Mouse” with … Read more

allows you to see how your city will disappear underwater

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Climate change has a consequence that is undoubtedly greatly feared by everyone: the sea ​​level rise. Far from being a distant threat, its effects are already are feeling all over the world and future projections force us to prepare for a scenario where our coasts are going to be altered, even having to prepare simulations to find out which buildings will be submerged under the seabed. A simulator. To understand the magnitude of this challenge and precisely visualize which areas will be submerged, there are tools such as ‘Sea Level Rise Viewer‘, a 3D map that allows us to peer into an uncertain future. A map created by developer Akihiko Kusanagi and consisting of an interactive simulation away from traditional 2D maps to offer us a photorealistic, and above all alarming, experience. A great result that has been achieved using the powerful photorealistic 3D mosaics of Google Maps and rendering technologies such as deck.gl and three.js. Something that has allowed any user to become a direct witness of the consequences of climate change. Furthermore, the code is completely open as it is published on GitHub. How it works. The genius of ‘Sea Level Rise 3D Map’ lies in its simplicity. When accessing the website, we find a 3D map of the world accompanied by a very minimalist interface that focuses on two key elements: Sea level: in this case it is possible to visualize how the coastal geography will change when the sea level increases meter by meter. With each increase, a layer of blue water will rise to cover the entire terrain, first flooding the port areas and beaches and then entering the urban centers. And we must take into account that For every cm that sea level rises, the coastline retreats 100 cm. Time of day: a second control located at the bottom that allows us to change the time, adjusting the lighting and shadows to have an even more realistic effect. Simulation on the coasts of Motril (Granada) that shows the impact that an increase in sea level of 58 meters would have. But the best of all is the search engine that is at the top of the map and that allows us to go to any city in the world with Google 3D coverage and see streets, monuments or emblematic neighborhoods that can end up underwater. And from the Statue of Liberty in New York to the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona or Big Ben in London, the tool offers a unique and personalized perspective of a global crisis. The science behind. Although the tool is a visual demonstration and not a predictive model with the precision of scientific studies, it puts face and volume to the data that the scientific community has been warning about for years through papers or conferences. It must be taken into account that the rise of the sea is caused by two key factors. The first of them is thermal expansion, since the oceans have absorbed more than 90% of the extra heat generated by human emissionscausing the water to expand much more, which causes the coastline to end up receding. This also adds to the melting of the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, as well as mountain glaciers, dumping billions of tons of water into the oceans each year. Few solutions. Even if we started doing things right now, according to the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), even if the global warming at 1.5°C, sea ​​level would continue to rise inevitably. Projections for 2100 vary from about 43 cm in the most optimistic scenario to exceeding 84 cm in the most pessimistic. But clearly with this tool, what represents just two or three meters of climbing gives us an idea of ​​the magnitude of the long-term challenge to finish raising awareness of where we can venture and what we are going to leave to our descendants. The conscience. Projects like the “Sea Level Rise 3D Map” are more necessary than ever. By transforming abstract data into a visual and personal experience, they achieve something that scientific reports often fail to do: generate an emotional impact and a sense of urgency on society. Images | Chris Gallagher In Xataka | What is a dana: how it forms, how it differs from a normal storm and how to act in one of them

The Canary Islands will tend an underwater cable to Morocco. If Morocco decides to extend it, Spain will have a problem

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An underwater cable of 49 million euros will connect the Canary Islands with Africa, but it will stop just where the legal problem begins: the border of the Western Sahara. What is happening. The Ring of the East islands will first join Gran Canaria, Lanzarote and Fuerteventura with the latest generation fiber. Then it will jump to the African continent, to Tarfaya, the last Moroccan city before the West Sahara. The Canarian government It has been clear: “The cable goes to Tarfaya, it has nothing to do with Western Sahara.” But Morocco has other plans. His government wants to extend that connection to what he calls his “South Provinces”, the euphemism with which he refers to the Saharawi territory since 1975, when Spain abandoned it. Why is it important. Submarine cables are Internet highways. 99% of data traffic between continents travels through them. This project promises to make the Canary Islands a digital node between Europe and Africa. But there is a huge legal problem. The EU Court of Justice considers any economic activity in the Western Sahara without consent of the Polisario Front, recognized by the UN as representative of the Saharawi people. And the Polisario He has already warned: If the cable reaches Saharawi territory, they will go to court. The context. Since Pedro Sánchez supported the Moroccan Autonomy Plan for Sahara in 2022Spain tries to maintain the balance between its economic interests with Morocco and its international legal obligations. This cable puts that test balance. If the infrastructure that Spain finances with European funds ends up facilitating Moroccan expansion in Sahara, could splash Spain with legal problems in European courts. The money trail. The construction has already begun with these numbers: 49 million total budget. 20 million provided by the European Investment Bank. Additional 7.5 million for connection with Tarfaya. In February, Canalink technicians – the Canarian public company that leads the project— Tarfaya visited to study the land and design the submarine layout. The cable will be manufactured in 2025 and will be deployed in 2026. The precedent. It is not the first time that Canary Islands connect with Morocco. Since 2011 There is a cable with Asilahin the north of the country. But that did not generate any controversy because it is far from the territory in dispute. This is different. It reaches the same border of the Sahara. And even if technically stops there, it creates the perfect basis for Morocco to complete what European companies cannot do directly by legal restrictions. The threat. The Polisario Front has a history of victories in European courts. He has lying fishing agreements and agriculture between the EU and Morocco for including resources from the Sahara without its consent. “We will carry out any action to guarantee the rights of the Saharawi people,” He said Abdulah Arabi, representative of the Polisario in Spain. A data cable would be your next goal if you cross the border. And now what. The project will continue because Canary Islands need this connection. The ESSI Spain will be able to maintain the legal fiction that its responsibility ends in Tarfaya. If Morocco extends the cable to the Sahara using the base infrastructure financed with European money, Spain could be found in the midst of another conflict between its economic interests and its obligations with the territory that it abandoned 50 years ago. And this time it will not be for fishing or phosphates, but for the control of the data between two continents. In Xataka | The Google Maps of submarine cables: an imposing interactive map that allows us to know the skeleton of the modern world Outstanding image | TelefónicaGoogle Maps

Google has a new and huge transatlantic underwater cable. One that will connect Santander with the United States

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If you are reading this it is because you are connected to the Internet, and if you are connected to the Internet it is because there are on the seabed true highways of huge fiber cables that interconnect the world. Submarine cables are really fascinating and In Spain we have a few. Well today we have to add another: Sol, the new Google transatlantic submarine cable that will connect our country with the United States. From Santander to Florida. Sol will be Google’s second submarine cable that will connect Spain with the United States. It will be, in fact, the only fiber optic cable between Europe and Florida. The cable, which will have 16 pairs of fiber optic cables, will be manufactured in the United States, will connect to the Google Cloud region in South Carolina and will be deployed from Palm Coast, Florida. It will pass through the Bermuda Islands, then it will reach the Azores and, finally, it will land in Santander thanks to the infrastructure provided by The Spanish Telxius. 10 Google applications that could have triumphed Scheme of the Sun and Nuvem cables | Image: Google In detail. This cable will be added to the facilities already available, such as Nuvem, Firmina either Equianto establish connectivity centers in the Atlantic. The idea, they explain from Google, is that Sol and Nuvem complement themselves to “contribute a double transatlantic resilience.” Nuvem is a sun -like cable: it leaves South Carolina, passes through Bermuda and arrives in Europe through Portugal. The idea is to offer two interconnected systems on land to increase the reliability and capacity of the system. That is, provide redundancy and security. So that? According to the company, the objective of displaying this cable is to improve the integration of the Google Cloud Region of Madrid With the entire network, as well as reinforce the global network that, for the moment, is composed of 42 regions. According to Google in a statement issued to media: “(Sun deployment) will help meet the growing demand for Google Cloud and IA services by its customers in Europe, the United States and other regions, adding capacity, increasing reliability and reducing latency for Google users and Google Cloud customers worldwide.” Grace Hopper deployment in 2021 | Image: Google The second Google cable in Spain. France, Ireland, England, Spain and Portugal are, for obvious reasons, the main European ports of submarine cables. In Spain we have some very important as Tide, Andjana and Grace Hopper. Tide is owned by Meta, Telxius and Microsoft, connects Bilbao with Virginia Beach and measures 6,605 kilometers. The Brutal Andjana is owned by Meta, measures 7,121 kilometers, has 24 pairs of fibers, a capacity of 500 Tbps and connects Europe with the United States. Grace Hopper, meanwhile, is the first cable that Google installed on our borders. It is one of the longest: with its 7,191 kilometers, Grace Hopper connects Bilbao with Bellport (United States) and Bude (England). The longest? Although cables such as Sol, Marea, Grace Hopper and company are a prodigy, the reality is that they are not the most impressive. They do not shade in terms of distance to 2AFRICAan international submarine cable surrounding the coast of Africa to connect Europe and the Middle East. It is a mamotreto of 16 pairs of fibers, 180 Tbps of capacity and a length of 45,000 kilometers that connects 46 service stations in 33 countries. It is expected to be finished by the end of this year. Cover image | Government of Spain, Wikipedia In Xataka | Goal already has the tool to lead the AI ​​era: an underwater cable that will take more than one return to the earth

one with its own underwater hydrogen factory

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When electric cars still crawled, a series of manufacturers launched Develop another propulsion technology: The hydrogen fuel battery. It is something that You have experienced comings, coming and changes of plans in recent years, but although it seems that It is not the future of utilitiesIt makes sense in industrial and commercial vehicles. And another sector in which it has potential is … in the submarines. The Spanish Navy is so sure that its Crown jewelthe S-80 class submarinesthey will be the only ones in the world that work with a system that manufactures their own hydrogen. Class S-80. Manufacturing a submarine from scratch is not simple, and Spain knows it well. The Carthaginense Isaac Peral was the inventor of the electric submarine, a precursor of the modern submarine, but Spain did not have its own underwater models during the expansion of this transport class. Since the 60s, the country built submarines under foreign licensebut at the beginning of this century, something changed and it was decided that it was time to have its own model: the Class S-80. After years of development, delays, flotability problems and billions of euros of extra costs that forced to prolong the useful life of obsolete submarines, the first submarine of this class, the S-81 Isaac PeralHE delivered to the Navy for its assessment in November 2023, with three others planned for the coming years. The mess of propulsion. Although in a submarine there is no more important system than another, we can say that propulsion technology directly affects the type of missions they can undertake. And there are three great technologies right now. The cheapest is conventional: submarines diesel-electricalthat can be submerged a few days because they need to recharge fuel, being a limitation for stealth operations. On the other hand, propulsion submarines through a nuclear reactor. It is the most expensive and also the most advanced for stealth operations. France, for example, has the Barracudawhich can be submerged up to 270 days. It is a complex technology to develop a submarine from scratch. There are also purely electric, such as those who They are adopting Japan and South Korea with batteries that offer a underwater autonomy of two or three weeks, or those that assemble AIP systems. Aip. Called independent air propulsion systems, AIPs generate electricity to feed the engine and recharge submarine batteries. The most common systems include fuel batteries that convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity. There are variants, such as Stirling engines that use liquid fuels in this process and closed cycle vapor turbines. It is a system that allows submerged autonomies of 20 days or more, and this is where the S-81 Isaac Peral is special because it does not store hydrogen in its batteries: it manufactures it. As? Using Bioethanol That, by means of a reformer, it becomes hydrogen that is used in a fuel pile together with liquid oxygen to produce electricity. Diagram of an AIP system of the submarines of India Best Aip. They are funny acronyms that respond to Bio-Ethanol Stealth Technology and is not really new, but of interesting application in a submarine. As our partners comment Motorpasionit was in 1991 when, in the laboratory of catalytic processes of the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Buenos Aires, they developed a method for obtain hydrogen from ethanol. In a submarine, it makes all the meaning: the risk of storage hydrogen is eliminated, aboard is produced and the waste (CO₂ and water) is expelled to the ocean in the form of carbonated water that does not increase the acoustic or thermal firm of the ship. This system, according to Manuel Corral Iranzo, under the command of the S-81 since the delivery in 2023, in statements to The debateit is “worldwide pointer” and it is something that has many advantages. Ethanol “is a matter not as dangerous as hydrogen and is easily obtained. It is a revolutionary system and no other country or any other submarine has this hydrogen production system on board,” he says. It is not yet mounted … There is a problem: this revolutionary system, which is clearly the jewel of the Crown of the S-80 class, is not prepared. As we read in Defensein parallel to the delivery of the first submarine in November 2023, the factory tests of the Best Aip system began to pass. The submarine was delivered without this oxygen generation system, which will be installed in its first large technical stop. When? Well this update is planned by 2029-2030. At the moment, the submarine has three diesel generators of 1,100 kW each and a main electric motor of 3,500 kW. After the S-81, the next one that will be delivered at some point in 2025, and after Another delayis the S-82 Narciso Monturiol. Nor will the Best Aip system will have, but it will be implemented in its technical stop of 2031 if there are no delays. Those who will have the factory best AIP will be the S-83 and S-84, dated by 2026 and 2028 respectively. Images | Angeldr88, To Guy Named Nyal, Navy, Martinvl, India Ministry of Defense In Xataka | In the nineteenth century, Spain designed the first “launcher” to defend against the US: the submarine of Sanjurjo Badía

China is developing an underwater space station more than 2,000 meters deep

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In 1971, the former Russian Soviet Union launched its first space station, Slayut 1which was 175 days in orbit. From then on, the career in the space sector has grown tirelessly. In contrast we have the oceanic fund that around 80% is without mapping or exploring, According to the Oceanic and Atmospheric National Administration (NOA). In addition, in different studies with monitors, key minerals have been found for current technology and China He has got to work. Short. China has started the construction of an underwater laboratory at 2,000 meters deep in the Meriodional China Sea. The project developed in the deep waters of Guangzhou has been described as an “underwater space station”, where six scientists will be for more than a month to study the marine ecosystem, According to Chinadily. The underwater base. As have explained in the same mediumResearchers will aim to study cold leak ecosystems, a natural phenomenon that contains high amounts of methane hydrate. This gas is considered a less polluting alternative to traditional fossil fuels, but its extraction to great depths is a complex risk. On the other hand, the laboratory will also seek to explore minerals such as cobalt, nickel and rare earths, important elements for the technological and energy industry. Dangerous extraction. The deposits in the seabed, especially those at extreme depths, can cause irreparable damage to marine ecosystems. In fact, the international authority of the seabed has not established a regulation that determines how to carry out the activity, although studies are still being carried out. Currently, ISA He is holding meetings For the regulation of seabed extraction, while environmental organizations They are claiming a protection of oceans above commercial interests. Is there a place for everyone? The research center will be open to international collaborations and is aligned with the United Nations decade for the restoration of ecosystems, According to Global Times. However, this initiative will intensify disputes in the South China Sea. All this is because the Asian giant has claimed sovereignty over a large part of the area, which has led to tensions with neighboring countries that also wish to exploit their resources. Besides, According to El Confidencialcritics of the Chinese government have alerted the risk of this underwater base that could serve as justification for an increase in Chinese military presence. The submarine laboratory. According to El Confidencialthe station will be connected to a fiber optic network in the seabed and will support pressures 200 times higher than the sea level. Scientists will spend between a month and 45 days underwater, without natural light. In addition, the base will feature advanced submersibles, surface ships and equipment to perform four -dimensional monitoring of the region. In addition, the initial phase will focus on the construction of pressure resistant structures and simulation systems. Surpassing AI and autonomous vehicles. The station, as have detailed in SCMPIt will allow scientists to perform real -time experiments under extreme conditions, which is currently not possible to arrive with artificial intelligence or autonomous vehicles. As has explained for Global Times The project director, Chaolun Li, the initiative will contribute to the ecological and experimental monitoring in situ, advancing human knowledge in these extreme environments. Image | Proteus Ocean Group Xataka | Chinese submarines are authentic crickets: a new generation promises to change the rules of the game

Give a stretch to its underwater borders west of Galicia

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Spain is about to give A considerable stretch north. One, yes, that will only be appreciated under water or in the offices. After Years of workmeetings and oceanographic campaigns, Spain is about to ensure that its underwater borders west of Galicia are extended by 38,500 square kilometers, an extension that will be added to The already achieved A long time ago in the Cantabrian. This has just ratified the UN at a meeting with Spanish delegates. For the final seen we will still have to wait a few months. Maybe bureaucracy sounds, but extending underwater limits beyond 200 nautical miles (just over 300 km) is much more interesting than it seems. What happened? That Galicia prepares to give A small stretch. And with it the whole country. Of course, the border extension will not be visible, nor will Spain redraw the silhouette we usually see in the maps. The reason is simple. What will really be expanded is the continental platform, the underwater border located west of Galicia. There is still the final OK for change, which is expected for August, but for the moment the United Nations already It has ratified it. Click on the image to go to Tweet. Who has announced it? The news was advanced on the weekend Vigo lighthousewhich has echoed in turn of the information that He has been publishing In networks the Geological and Mining Institute of Spain (IGME) and Luis Somozainvestigator of the institution and scientific coordinator of the expansion of the continental platform of Galicia. The reason? The Redibration of the underwater borders of Galicia It was these days In New York, where a Spanish delegation was transferred. There the UN It has ratified The expansion of the continental platform north of the Bank of Galicia. Of course, the newspaper specifies that the final approval will not arrive for a few months, in August. And how much will it be expanded? A good pinch, as Luis Somoza himself recognized Thursday after the meeting held in New York. “We have secured an extension of 38,000 km2 beyond 200 miles,” revealed in x. To better learn the geology of that huge plain, which exceeds 5,000 m deep, at the end of May a new scientific campaign will be undertaken with the Sarmiento de Gamboa ship. Click on the image to go to Tweet. Is it something new? The advances do. The background struggle to widen underwater borders no. In August 2006 Spain He already presented A proposal to expand the domain of the continental platform in the Cantabrian, an aspiration that achieved a key advance in March 2009, when the New York commission gave the green light to the extension of the legal title of Spain of some some 78,000 km2 in the area. In the case of Galicia, in 2009 Spain looked at the outer limits of the continental platform beyond 200 marine miles. On the surface, that would mean adding about 50,000 km2 under Spanish sovereignty. Apart from Galicia and Cantabria, Spain was interested in a third point: the Canary Islands, more specifically an extension of 206,000 km2 to the Oste of the Islands. If the three ambitioned regions (Cantabrian, Galicia and the Canary Islands are added) they would go from 330,000 km. And based on what? The United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which includes the scientific criteria that allow the limits of the sovereignty of a country over the seabed to go beyond the 200 nautical miles. In 2010 Spain presented Before the UN precisely that, the scientific evidence that would endorse the aspirations of the underwater borders in Galicia. Spain is not the only one immersed in such a process. In 2010 The country I pointed That the attractiveness of the platforms, rich in gas and mineral deposits, among other resources, had aroused the interest of other tens of nations with coast. Specifically, he spoke of 51 countries that had moved to achieve their continental slopes. Why is it important? The area that is now in the focus, west of Galicia, has depths of between 800 and more than 5,000 my the objective of geologists is to achieve a more detailed cartography to know it better. The data will be presented at the UN with a view to the August appointment in which, As progress Lighthouseit is expected to put the final touch to more than a decade of work to expand underwater borders. The objective: “shield” its preservation and allow Spain to explore and exploit its resources. Images | Gregorio Puga Bailón (Flickr) In Xataka | Galician marshare have launched a ‘sos’ in the face of their great threat: the risk of collapse of the AruSo estuary

First it was a cut underwater cable. 24 hours later Taiwan has found a China Army in front of the island

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24 hours after the Taiwan authorities have stopped a ship manned by Chinese citizens under the suspicion of having cut a new cable Communications submarine, the island has encountered a surprising scene in front of its coasts: China has deployed an army and initiated real fire exercises. The tension intensifies. As explained by the island’s government, China carried out “shooting training” exercises In the waters near the southwest coast of Taiwan, in a maneuver that Taipei has described as “provocative and dangerous.” The exercises seem to be framed in a series of Chinese military maneuvers that, at least in the last three years, have included large -scale war drills. The Taiwanese Ministry of Defense reported that, shortly before 9 am, detected 32 Chinese military planes performing a joint exercise of preparation for combat along with 14 warships in the Taiwan Strait. The operation was carried out without prior notice and in an area Only 74 kilometers from the coastwhich represents a violation of international standards and a danger to navigation security and commercial flights in the region. Taiwan’s response. The Taiwanese government He condemned the maneuvers and displayed his own strength to monitor the situation. The cities of Kaohsiung and Pingtung, located in southwest Taiwan, host important naval and aerial bases, in addition to the largest port on the island, a key node in international maritime trade. According to Taipei, the recent Chinese military activity, including the one carried out in front of the coast of Australiashow that China is the biggest threat for the stability of the Taiwan Strait and the Indo-Pacific region. For its part, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs avoided making direct comments on Taiwan’s complaints and just affirmed that the maneuvers were part of a scheduled shooting training. China reinforces its reunification speech. While the Chinese armed forces carried out these exercises, Wang Huning, the fourth leader in the hierarchy of the Communist Party, reiterated the official Beijing position on The “reunification” with Taiwan. During a meeting on issues related to the island, Wang stressed The need for China “Maintain the initiative and control over relations through the Taiwan Strait” and “advance without hesitation in the cause of the reunification of the homeland.” What did the neighbor say? Taiwan’s government responded by rejecting Beijing’s sovereignty statements and reaffirmed that only the Taiwanese people You can decide your future. To all this we must remember that President Lai Ching-Te, whom China considers a “separatist”, has reiterated his commitment to the defense of Taiwanese democracy. A day after cable cut. It We count yesterday. Frictions between Taiwan and China have not limited themselves to the military field. 24 hours before Chinese “simulation”, both parties exchanged accusations in relation to the Damage to an underwater cable of communications off the southwest coast of Taiwan. The Taiwanese authorities arrested a freighter with Chinese crew, the Hong Tai 58, registered in Togo, on suspicion of being involved in the incident. China, meanwhile, accused Taiwan of Manipulate the situation and launch accusations without conclusive evidence. Not just that. Taiwan has revealed in the last hours that the Hong Tai 58 was already part of A list of 52 boats Linked to China that the island’s security agencies consider a potential threat to telecommunications infrastructure. Looking back, it is the fifth case around failures/cuts/Sabotage of submarine cables registered in the region so far this year. So much so, that the Taiwan government has established a parallel with similar incidents occurred in the Baltic Sea After the Russian invasion of Ukraine. What seems clear is that the situation in the area, far from appeasing, has climbed the confrontation in a few days. China continues reinforcing its military presence In the region, while Taiwan and its allies, particularly the United States, observe with concern the increase in these maneuvers and the hardening of the forced reunification discourse. The combination of military pressure, sabotage of critical infrastructure and that growing belligerent rhetoric by Beijing points to an intimidation and wear strategy, one that raises the risk of an open conflict in the Taiwan Strait. Image | Naval Surface In Xataka | Taiwan lives an unprecedented situation in three decades: there is an army of 53 planes and 90 Chinese ships in front of the island In Xataka | Taiwan has just stopped a ship after cutting an underwater cable. The problem is that there are only Chinese citizens inside

Taiwan has just stopped a ship after cutting an underwater cable. The problem is that there are only Chinese citizens inside

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That the submarine cables, whether communications or energy, have become a first level actor in the geopolitics of the planet, is out of any doubt. The cases of cuts and Sabotajes that have occurred in recent months, together with The huge investments They are taking place among companies with AI in the equation, attest to it. However, if the cable cut occurs in a high voltage place such as Taiwan, the incident acquires another channel. The suspicion of sabotage. It is not the first time in the enclave, like We have counted beforebut it has happened again. The authorities of Taiwan have stopped a ship of load under the suspicion of having cut a communications cable Submarine that connects the main island with the Penghu archipelago, located about 30 kilometers west. Although the investigation is still ongoing, the event adds to a series of similar incidents that have generated restlessness on possible tactics of maritime sabotage by China and Russia. The problem: the ship is manned by Chinese citizens. The arrest. A Taiwanese coach detected That the vessel, a freighter in poor condition with multiple names and Chinese financing, was in the area when the cable rupture occurred. According to Ou Yu-FEI, spokesman for the Coast Guard, it was The only ship present In the area at that time, which reinforces the hypothesis of its involvement. In addition, they say that the ship could have used a false registration number and changed its name suddenly, a common pattern in covert activities. Context of a “possible.” As has told the New York Timesthe incident occurred around Tuesday at 3:24 am, shortly after a Taiwanese patrol ordered the freighter to leave the area because they were too close to the submarine cables with the anchor thrown. This detail has led the authorities to consider the possibility that the ship took advantage of its exit to perform a deliberate act of sabotage. Crucial cables. The cutting of submarine communications cables is always a serious accident, but in the case of Taiwan a little more. The reason? It depends on Great measure of these cables for its connectivity with its peripheral islands and with the rest of the world. While they can be damaged by natural causes such as earthquakes or aging of the material, the most common reason is the drag of ships of ships or fishing nets. In fact and as we remembered, recent patterns have led some analysts to speculate that China and Russia could be resorting to deliberate sabotage as a form of harassment in the sea. A trend. A summary of the growing number of similar cases could be made in recent times. In 2023a cable between Taiwan and the Matsu Islands was cut, affecting communications for weeks. TO beginnings of 2025a digital cable that connects Taiwan with South Korea, Japan, China and the United States suffered damage, indicated that a Chinese ship could have dragged its anchor over it. In November 2024two fiber optic cables in the Baltic Sea were cut, and the investigations pointed to a Chinese/Russian flag freighter. In response to this trend, the Taiwan government has intensified surveillance of its underwater infrastructure and has prepared a list of More than 50 suspicious shipsmany of them registered with convenience flags (such as the togolesa, used by the detainee ship). The answer. A few hours ago, China has accused Taiwan of politically manipulate the recent incident of the submarine cable. According to Beijing, the Taiwanese government has exaggerated the situation without conclusive evidence, with the aim of feeding tensions and obtaining political revenue. Zhu Fenglian, spokesman for the Chinese Government’s Taiwan Affairs Office, minimized the same, stating that damage to submarine cables They are common maritime accidents that occur more than a hundred times a year worldwide. In addition, he accused the Democratic Progressive Party (PPD), which governs Taiwan, to use the event to manipulate public opinion without their claims having real support. For its part, the Taiwanese government has rejected Beijing’s claims, insisting that there are clear indications of possible sabotage, especially since the ship with Chinese links was present in the area when it occurred. Geopolitical implications. If Taiwan’s suspicions are confirmed about intentional damage, the fact could climb the tensions between the island and China. As We have been countingBeijin considers Taiwan as part of its territory and has increased pressure on the island in recent years through military incursionseconomic pressure and cyber attacks. We will have to wait, since the case has been sent to prosecutors to deeper investigation. Meanwhile, the island continues reinforcing your measures security to avoid new interruptions in their underwater communications. In a context in which the control of digital networks and critical infrastructure has become a hybrid war tool, these incidents reinforce the perception that the “neighbor” could be exploring forms of indirect destabilization without reaching an open conflict . Image | 總統府Taiwan Coast Guard In Xataka | Taiwan does not want more problems with China or with its submarine cables. So you have activated an unpublished security plan In Xataka | Goal already has the tool to lead the AI ​​era: an underwater cable that will take more than one return to the earth

An underwater cable that will give more than one return to the earth

by

Two current trends in geopolitics are the Rare earth and submarine cables. The first because China has the pan for the mango and are essential for the construction of today’s world. The second because that world cannot be understood without them and we are seeing that they are an element of pressure in A scenario like the Ukraine War. Submarine cables are the perfect example of globalization, the element that allows practically all countries Let’s be interconnected and that we can enjoy telephone lines, internet or streaming systems as we do today. Our oceans are full of these cables And it is companies such as goal or Google who are investing greatly in increasing their number due to the boom of both streaming and AI. Precisely a goal, which was already working to display a huge cable of more than 7,000 kilometers, has just announced one that will go around the world: A megacable that will interconnect more than 50,000 kilometers. Waterworth Project: New Generation Cables The Earth has a circumference of about 40,000 kilometers, this being a fact that helps us understand the magnitude of the infrastructure that plans to display Mark Zuckerberg’s company. In a releaseMeta has commented that this underwater cable is the most ambitious so far for its part (and by anyone, go) and that, when it has been completed, it will link the five main continents through more than 50,000 kilometers. The name of the project is Waterworth and the idea is join the two coasts of the United States with Brazil, South Africa, India and Australia. They have not talked about numbers, but it is a multimillion -dollar investment and will be carried out in several phases over the years. To get an idea, the Google cable to join Japan and the west coast of the United States It will cost about one billion dollars. The intention of the goal is to strengthen its position in the digital highway segment in order to boost their artificial intelligence. It is something that the company is very involved and, in this way, it will reinforce its presence in the sector. These submarine cables are composed of other cables, normally 8 or 16 fiber pairs, but there are also some with 24 pairs. Waterworth will be of this last class and will become the longest of 24 pairs. And it is not a plan on paper: they are already working on the path that will travel the cables, with the intention of protecting them as much as possible, since some sections will be 7,000 meters deep near high risk failures. Vital highways (such as the Ukraine War is demonstrating) Something they are also paying attention to is the cable covering. Meta has commented that they will use improper burial techniques in the shallow areas near the coast, where ships usually damage these systems, but are also looking to protect them in the face of “other dangers”. What other dangers? Well, we have recently seen in the Ukraine War, where Cuts have occurred in these cablessomething that has caused instability in some systems. Due to its importance, and the stage in which the cuts were given, at first it was believed that Russia and China were behindbut it seems that the explanation is another: dragged anchors that caused the cuts by error. Be that as it may, that at first it would be thought that the cable cut was part of a pressure measure in a war scenario, it reflects the importance when protecting this type of systems. In the end, as a goal states in its statement: they are essential now, but they will be even more in the era of the AI ​​we are entering. Images | Goal In Xataka | A third of the world’s population cannot read this: the UN reveals that 2.9 billion people have never accessed the Internet

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