NPR

China Is Placing Underwater Sensors In The Pacific Near Guam

China has placed one or more acoustic sensors — listening devices — in the Mariana Trench, near the island of Guam, which is home to a major U.S. military base.
China's manned submersible "Jiaolong" is retrieved after its dive in the Mariana Trench on June 1, 2017, after its 20th dive in the world's deepest known trench, since 2012.

China's official People's Daily newspaper reported in December that Chinese scientists had lowered acoustic sensors into the Mariana Trench, at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean.

The listening devices, placed near the U.S. territory of Guam — — could be used to study oceans or track submarines. Analysts see the move as a clue to China's strategy toward the Pacific, its neighbors and the U.S. The sensors could help China monitor foreign ships and protect

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