According to a new report from the Wall Street Journal, US officials are seeking to block the project due to national security concerns.

Plans for the cable were first announced in 2016 and progress is now well underway; the team had planned to lay the final segments this summer and begin operations by the end of the year.

The cable, called the Pacific Light Cable Network, is backed by Google, Facebook, and a Chinese partner.

The Justice Department has signaled staunch opposition to the project because of concerns over its Chinese investor, Dr. Peng Telecom & Media Group Co, and the direct link that the cable would provide to Hong Kong, the WSJ reported, citing people involved in the discussion.

'DOJ does not comment on its ongoing assessment of applications that the FCC has referred for national security and law enforcement concerns arising out of foreign investment or control,' said Marc Raimondi, a national security spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice.