Undersea Lifelines: Submarine Cables and the New Geopolitics of Connectivity

In this episode, we sit down with Athena Tong, Visiting Researcher at the University of Tokyo and a Research Associate & Programme Lead at the China Strategic Risks Institute, to explore the strategic importance of submarine cables as critical infrastructure within today’s geopolitical competition. Athena explains why these systems have become increasingly vulnerable, particularly in regions such as Taiwan and Japan’s southwestern islands, where growing military and maritime pressures complicate infrastructure security. She discusses the challenge policymakers face in distinguishing between accidental disruptions and deliberate sabotage, and how dual-use commercial infrastructure can complicate risk assessments. Finally, we examine emerging connectivity corridors and the potential for new routes, including those linking Asia and Europe through Canada’s Arctic, to strengthen global resilience and economic security.