Recent events in the Red Sea have brought to the fore another security vulnerability, that of the security of undersea telecommunications cables. UAE officials in early March said that three cables running through the Red Sea had been possibly attacked by Yemen’s Houthi rebels, although the Houthis themselves denied it. The cables provide connectivity for … Read more
Advertisement In July, there was a notable surge in attempts from both the United States and China to establish a more stable relationship. Following U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s visit to Beijing in late June, there was a subsequent series of visits to China by Secretary of Treasury Janet Yellen, Special Climate Representative John … Read more
Flashpoints | Security | Southeast Asia The region’s maritime, cyber, and energy security policies have not yet fully taken maritime infrastructure into account. An aerial view of the port of Singapore. Credit: Depositphotos Advertisement When discussing the maritime domain, we often think of fishing and shipping activities, and how they can be better regulated or protected from pirates, criminals, … Read more
Advertisement The Diplomat author Mercy Kuo regularly engages subject-matter experts, policy practitioners, and strategic thinkers across the globe for their diverse insights into U.S. Asia policy. This conversation with Dr. April Herlevi – senior research scientist in the Indo-Pacific Security Affairs Program at the Center for Naval Analyses – is the 375th in “The Trans-Pacific … Read more
Advertisement Since November 2022, the dataflow on all five of Vietnam’s undersea internet cables has been disrupted, slowing internet speeds and forcing the country into periodic reliance on land cable connections to China and Cambodia. The failures are from a mixture of technical issues, including unintentional physical damage to cables in waters near Malaysia and … Read more
Advertisement Earlier this year, Taiwan experienced two significant submarine cable cuts that resulted in internet outages and other connectivity concerns. The Taiwan-Matsu No. 2 and No. 3 cables were likely severed by a Chinese fishing trawler and a Chinese cargo vessel accidentally, but it is still uncertain. The Japanese-manufactured cables are noteworthy because they connect … Read more