The SHV-HK submarine cable, a direct undersea optical cable connecting Sihanoukville of Cambodia and Hong Kong of China, successfully landed at the Tseung Kwan O L2 Cable Landing Station, a facility of China United Network Communications Group Co., Ltd. (China Unicom), in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, becoming the first submarine cable directly linking the two countries.
The almost 3,000-kilometer submarine cable is a landmark digital infrastructure project under China-Cambodia Belt and Road cooperation. Upon completion, it will enhance the resilience and security of Cambodia's international internet connectivity, helping address weaknesses in the local digital infrastructure. It will serve as a high-speed data transmission channel connecting Southeast Asia with Hong Kong — a key international information hub and computing power center, driving the high-quality and coordinated development of the digital economy of China and Cambodia.
The SHV-HK submarine cable’s recent landing in Hong Kong marked the successful achievement of the goals outlined in the cable connection cooperation statement China Unicom and Cambodia signed in October 2023. With a total capacity of 80 Tbps, the cable is a vital component of China Unicom’s integrated land-sea network, which is designed to connect China and the member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) through two east-west corridors and four north-south ones.
Together with the China-Laos-Cambodia terrestrial data transmission system, this project can effectively enhance the resilience of Cambodia’s international internet gateway. In addition, the cable can provide a foundation for extending connectivity to key ASEAN markets, including the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia, thereby laying a solid foundation for a high-speed, secure and stable China-ASEAN digital communications system.
(Executive editor: Zuo Shihan)
