France, which is a NATO member, and China have sent their aircraft carriers to the hotly contested South China Sea earlier this week, where territorial disputes remain unsolved. The Chinese Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a written request for comment.

Common damage to underwater infrastructure has been weaponised by Nato states and Taiwan in information warfare against mainland China.

Weeks prior to Vladimir Putin’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the two reaffirmed the “no limits” partnership first mentioned by Beijing in 2021. Nato considers China a “decisive enabler” of the Kremlin’s war effort,

In Germany, Vice President JD Vance spoke at the Munich Security Conference. He told NATO allies that Europe’s biggest security threat is not Russia or China, but themselves.

Worse still, China has emerged as the big winner, as the conflict has ensnared NATO and Russia. China, significantly stronger than Russia in economic output, military spending and other strategic metrics,

The French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier has been deployed for a five-month Indo-Pacific mission since last November.

France, which is a NATO member, and China have sent their aircraft carriers to the hotly contested South China Sea earlier this week, where territorial disputes remain unsolved. The Chinese Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a written request for comment.

A spate of drills by China’s military in the Indo-Pacific is testing the Trump administration’s commitment to regional security soon after its actions raised doubts about its alliances with European nations.

Taiwan's coast guard said it was investigating whether the incident was sabotage but said "it cannot be ruled out that it was a gray zone intrusion."

Citing unnamed U.S. officials, Bloomberg reported that Moscow and Washington were discussing economic cooperation in the far north, which could "drive a wedge" between Russia and its key trading ally, China. It could also be part of a detente between the U.S. and Russia sought by President Donald Trump.

The French nuclear-powered aircraft carrier has been deployed for a five-month Indo-Pacific mission since last November.

Moscow and Beijing, seeking to disrupt and intimidate the West, have intensified their attacks on undersea data cables, forcing the United States and its partners to protect critical connections.