These cables provide important data and telephony services to mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.

These waves or currents are underwater and rarely break the surface, thus posing no danger to shipping but are sometimes visible to satellites.

[citation needed] The Luzon Strait was part of the Japanese invasion route during the Second World War.

On December 8, 1941 (the same day as the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, due to the International Date Line), forces of the Empire of Japan landed on Batanes.

[citation needed] Subsequently, during the Second World War, many US submarines hunted Japanese convoys passing through the strait on their way from the East Indies to Japan.