As tensions rise between the United States and China, Facebook has announced its decision to end attempts to lay a trans-Pacific submarine cable between California and Hong Kong.

“Due to the continued concerns of the US government about direct links between the US and Hong Kong, we have decided to withdraw our application filed with the US FCC. A Facebook spokesman told AFP on Wednesday. – We look forward to working with all parties to reconfigure the system to meet the interests of the US government. “.

Facebook, along with several telecommunications companies, has filed an application with the FCC for permission to lay the submarine cable in 2018. The cable was supposed to connect two sites in California with Hong Kong and Taiwan, which would allow it to transmit large amounts of data with low latency.

Initially, the Pacific Light Cable Network project was intended to lay a fiber optic submarine trunk between the United States, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the Philippines. However, with tensions growing with China, which tightened its grip on Hong Kong, the US Department of Justice recommended last June to lay a trans-Pacific submarine cable bypassing Hong Kong. Placing a landing station in Hong Kong, according to the US authorities, will enable Beijing to collect data on Americans.