U.S. warns Russia may be sharing submarine stealth tech with China amid Taiwan tensions

Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery warned that Russia may be supplying China with submarine-quieting technology, a development that could diminish the United States' long-standing edge in undersea warfare as tensions over Taiwan intensify. He noted that the technology would lower the acoustic signature of Chinese submarines, making them harder for U.S. forces to detect. The Chinese Embassy rejected the allegation, calling it groundless speculation and emphasizing the non-allied nature of the cooperation.

Montgomery's remarks echo earlier testimony by Adm. Samuel Paparo, who told the Senate Armed Services Committee that Russia has been providing similar assistance in exchange for Chinese industrial support for its war in Ukraine. Both officials describe the relationship as a transactional symbiosis that threatens U.S. security interests in the Indo-Pacific. The report also references prior instances of Russian-Chinese military collaboration, such as joint drone production and training of a Chinese airborne battalion. Overall, the alleged technology transfer underscores growing strategic interdependence between Moscow and Beijing, complicating U.S. planning for potential conflict around Taiwan.