According to Hong Kongs English-language newspaper The South China Morning Post, during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 30th, 17 countries including Singapore, Finland, and Sweden established a cooperation framework called Guidelines for Underwater Infrastructure Defense. The United States and China were not among these participating countries.
The Asia-Pacific region is home to a vast network of submarine optical cables. The Asia-Pacific Gateway Submarine Cable System (APG) is one such system. This network spans a total length of 10,400 kilometers, connecting key communication hubs in Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, China, and Vietnam.
Last year, Philippine Global Telecom joined the Asia-Pacific Joint East Line Submarine Cable Alliance. This cable, with a total length of 8900 kilometers, starts in Singapore and ends in Japan. It passes through the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, South Korea, and Taiwan, China, thereby establishing network connections between East Asia and Southeast Asia.
The 17 countries that signed these guiding principles include: Singapore, Estonia, Finland, France, Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Qatar, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. The ministers of defense or their representatives from these countries attended the launch ceremony of this initiative. The aim of this initiative is to encourage countries to explore potential areas of cooperation in order to strengthen security measures.
It is noteworthy that neither China nor the United States appears on the list.
Representatives from various countries attended the launching ceremony of the guidelines.
At the launching ceremony, Singapores Defense Minister Chen Chien-hing stated that waterways are not only trade routes, but also carry crucial underwater infrastructure that provides connections for energy and telecommunications.
He said, If we are honest about it today, we will realize that there is still a lot of work to be done in establishing international norms. This includes how to build these critical infrastructure facilities More importantly, how to maintain them, and how to prevent deliberate destruction by humans.
Chen Zhen Sheng did not specify which countries he referred to, but noted that there are still many countries that have expressed their intention to join. However, some countries need to go through domestic approval processes. All parties hope that this agreement will lead to multilateral consultations and the sharing of mature practical experience.
However, this guiding principle is voluntary in nature and does not have legal binding force. It outlines principles such as respect for sovereignty and jurisdiction, and emphasizes that actions should be based on international laws such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.
The document also lists potential areas of cooperation, including cross-regional information sharing and strengthening capabilities for crisis response.
It is important to return only the English translation.
Singapores Rajaratnam Institute of Strategic and International Studies Senior Researcher Collin Koh pointed out that countries will be unable to utilize the important technical knowledge and capabilities possessed by the superpowers.
Carnegie International Peace Foundations Asia Program Fellow Elina Noor said that although the absence of major powers is not ideal, cooperation without their participation might be easier to manage.
Barbora Valockova, a researcher at the Asia and Globalization Center of the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, said that countries that have achieved high levels of digitalization and whose economies are highly dependent on foreign trade face similar risks and shared interests in terms of underwater infrastructure security.
She said, For these countries, even short-term interruptions in data transmission or energy pipelines can lead to significant economic and political losses.
Valočská believes that introducing these guidelines without the participation of China, the United States, and Russia could be interpreted as a soft checks and balances measure taken by countries with similar interests.
She also worries that its relatively easy to reach agreements on principles at present, but the real challenge lies in implementing those agreements. Countries may face difficulties in establishing monitoring systems and maintaining necessary capabilities.
China has always advocated that the international community should strengthen cooperation in order to jointly safeguard the safety of underwater infrastructure.
In December 2023, some foreign media falsely claimed that China was hindering the construction and maintenance of submarine cables passing through the South China Sea. Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated at that time that submarine cables are crucial infrastructure for global data transmission. They carry approximately 99% of international communication traffic worldwide, making them one of the most important means of communication in todays world. Over the years, China has continuously deepened international exchanges and cooperation in the field of cyberspace, actively promoting the construction of global information infrastructure, including submarine cables.
Mao Ning emphasized that China will continue to work together with the international community to strengthen bilateral, regional, and international dialogue and cooperation. It will actively promote the construction of global information infrastructure, such as submarine cables. Together, we will protect these cables, enhance global digital connectivity, and create a more fair, stable, and dynamic online space. We will jointly build a community with a shared future in the online world.
It is worth mentioning that the international communitys concerns regarding the security of critical infrastructure constantly face real challenges related to geopolitical manipulation. In 2022, the deliberate destruction of the North Stream pipeline shocked the world. The American involvement was revealed multiple times in media reports. While Denmark, Sweden, and Germany launched investigations, they completely excluded Russia from participating in these efforts. As a result, this major underwater infrastructure accident remains a mystery to this day.
