China’s Strategic Deployment of Deep-Sea Mining to Counter U.S. Defense Presence in Oceania

 

Lucia Fogler

July 16, 2025

 

Executive Summary:

As attention focuses on securing U.S. defense critical mineral supply chains, deep-sea mining presents a critical new market for decoupling supply chains from reliance on China (PRC). China has strategically launched efforts to lead the deep-sea mining market, secure supply chains, and undermine U.S. defense presence in the Pacific Oceania region which has critical implications for U.S. national security. Through open source research and analysis there are three key implications targeting U.S. defense and diplomacy that China’s increasing investment into deep sea mining seeks to diminish:

 

• PRC Expansion of Diplomatic Collaborations with PICs – China is using research collaborations with PICs on deep-sea mining to expand defense and diplomatic partnerships. The emergence of mining sites and key critical partnerships in the Pacific are strategically poised near U.S. assets. These are aimed at countering U.S. presence and expanding China’s influence in Oceania, centered around defense critical minerals.

 

• Dual-Use Deep Sea Mining Infrastructure – China’s research and survey vessels conducting mapping of Chinese ISA contract areas, due to navigation patterns, pose a serious threat of being dual-use technology surveiling U.S. military posture and interfering with civilian infrastructure.

 

• PRC Competitive Advantage over Deep-Sea Mining – Through emerging technologies and diplomatic partnerships China is positioning itself to gain global strategic control over the deep-sea mining industry. This is to secure PRC critical mineral supply chains and have the strategic control to undercut the U.S. out of an emerging market that is critical to defense and U.S. National Security.

 

Download Placemat

Download Full Research