Story perspectives

EU and ASEAN Unite to Secure Subsea Cable Infrastructure

3/15/2026

Summary

Story summary

Subsea fibre-optic cables underpin digital economy and are viewed as a security issue amid great-power rivalry.
Disruptions and gaps in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea highlight the vulnerability of this infrastructure.
EU and ASEAN officials say collaboration between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union (EU) is needed to bolster resilience without aligning with the United States (U.S.) or China.

1 of 1

Story summary

Subsea fibre-optic cables underpin digital economy and are viewed as a security issue amid great-power rivalry.
Disruptions and gaps in the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea highlight the vulnerability of this infrastructure.
EU and ASEAN officials say collaboration between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the European Union (EU) is needed to bolster resilience without aligning with the United States (U.S.) or China.