China builds 74,000-ton "floating island"! U.S. experts warn: Fear of mastering deep-sea technology standards

Schematic diagram of the design of China's "Deep-Sea All-Weather Resident Floating Research Facility". The platform adopts a semi-submersible twin-hull design and is planned to be used for deep-sea scientific research and marine equipment testing, with a maximum displacement of approximately 74,000 tons.

China is planning to build a giant "floating island" that can stay offshore for a long time as a test platform for deep-sea mining and ocean energy equipment. American experts reminded that the influence of this huge project is not only to demonstrate its scientific research capabilities, but also China intends to use it to establish a real-world testing environment for deep-sea equipment, and then dominate and monopolize the technical standards that international players must follow in the future.

According to Newsweek, this platform is operated by Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Company, a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, is responsible for the design and construction. The project bid amount is approximately 2.76 billion yuan (approximately NT$12.4 billion). Officials plan to build this semi-submersible twin-hull platform with a maximum displacement of about 74,000 tons. Construction is expected to start in 2028 and delivery will be completed in 2030. The platform will be capable of self-navigation, can carry 238 people, and can send large equipment into the deep sea of ​​about 6,000 meters through the hull opening.

Usha Haley, a professor at Wichita State University in the United States, analyzed in an interview with Newsweek that the semi-submersible twin-hull design has been used in the offshore oil and gas industry for many years. The real intention of this project lies in its large scale and deep-sea testing mission. Hailey pointed out that if the platform becomes a key international deep-sea testing site, global industry players may be forced to design products in accordance with the conditions set by China in order to meet its testing environment and operational needs. This means that Beijing will essentially dominate the development of future marine equipment technology.

Scholars worry about data’s dual use, both military and civilian

However, this ambitious plan is still far from becoming an actual army. Haili clearly pointed out that this platform is currently only in the design and planning stage, and its design specifications have only been model tested in the "test tank" of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and have not yet been verified by any actual harsh walruses. She emphasized that China has failed to achieve its shale gas production targets in the past, and the official construction specifications must not be directly equated with the actual combat capabilities that can ultimately be achieved as scheduled.

In addition, Hailey also pointed out another level of national security risks. She warned that the seabed and water column data obtained by this platform in the future will have a high degree of "military and civilian dual-use". The international community must pay close attention to which countries or companies this sensitive ocean data will be opened to in the future, and how Beijing will turn it into potential military underwater advantages.