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Securing the Digital Seabed: Countering China’s Underwater Ambitions

Title: Securing the Digital Seabed: Countering China’s Underwater Ambitions Author: Raghvendra Kumar Abstract: China’s Digital Silk Road provides Beijing with a potent instrument to disrupt undersea cables and gain an advantage in the Indo-Pacific. Submarine fiber-optic cables are critical infrastructure yet vulnerable to sabotage. This paper examines how the planned Pakistan and East Africa Connecting Europe (PEACE) cable from China could become a new flashpoint in the Western Indian Ocean. The cable has strategic implications, allowing China to project power and leverage its technological edge. Its landing sites in Pakistan and Djibouti would anchor Chinese naval assets in key chokepoints. The civil-military fusion strategy also facilitates surveillance and espionage via the cables. To counter such threats, India and allies must secure submarine cables through monitoring, contingency planning, and multilateral cooperation. Investing in alternative “democratic digital networks” can also mitigate China’s ambitions. Ultimately, submarine cables are emerging as a domain of geopolitical competition requiring policies that safeguard their resilience.
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China’s Security Agreement with the Solomon Islands: Wider Implications for Geopolitics in the South Pacific

Title: China’s Security Agreement with the Solomon Islands: Wider Implications for Geopolitics in the South Pacific Author: Joseph Hammond Abstract: This article explores the leaked security agreement between China and the Solomon Islands, which has significant implications for the geopolitical landscape of the South Pacific region. China’s first-known bilateral security arrangement in the area enables potential deployment of its forces near vital shipping lanes, raising concerns about a future Chinese military base. The agreement’s leaked details reveal provisions for Chinese personnel to assist in maintaining social order and providing humanitarian aid. Australia, New Zealand, and the United States have expressed apprehension, with Washington reopening the US embassy in the Solomon Islands and negotiating exclusive military use rights with other nations. This move by Beijing expands China’s maritime strategic presence and bolsters its hard power in the region, while also enhancing its soft power through similar agreements with other Pacific Island nations. The establishment of Chinese naval bases in the Solomon Islands would be a significant development with far-reaching implications for the Indo-Pacific. Urgent proactive measures are needed to mitigate potential conflicts and uphold regional stability.
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China’s Authoritarian Grip: How China Reinforces Social Control, Cultivates a Climate of Fear, and Minimizes Dissent

Roughly one-quarter of the world’s people and Internet users live under governments that engage in heavy censorship. A large portion live behind “The Great Firewall” of China, which places strategic importance on Internet control. The Internet can serve counterhegemonic purposes, as numerous groups in civil society use it to connect isolated populations, unite women’s movements, and enable human rights and political minority activists. However, China sees Internet censorship as crucial for national security and social stability. Through legal research, translating Chinese sources, and drawing on personal experiences in China, this paper argues that Chinese domestic censorship poses an international threat.
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Secretary Antony J. Blinken at the 8th Annual CSIS Republic of Korea–United States Strategic Forum

In his address at the 8th Annual CSIS Republic of Korea–United States Strategic Forum, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken underscored the enduring strength and significance of the US–Korea relationship as it approaches 70 years since the signing of the Mutual Defense Treaty. The Secretary highlighted the deepening of the alliance, emphasizing the commitment to mutual defense, especially in the face of North Korea’s provocative actions and its growing cooperation with Russia. He also discussed the strengthening economic partnership between the two countries, with significant investments and collaborative initiatives driving innovation and sustainable growth in the Indo-Pacific region. Additionally, Secretary Blinken noted the evolving trilateral cooperation between the United States, Korea, and Japan in addressing regional challenges, such as North Korean nuclear threats and cyber activities. He emphasized the commitment to a rules-based order, including freedom of navigation, and the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The address concluded with a recognition of Korea’s increasing global leadership and the shared ambition of the United States and Korea for a long-lasting and beneficial partnership.
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231025-F-EX201-1090

Chief Master Sgt. of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass meets with Air University’s Resilience Research Task Force at the Air Force Culture and Language Center, Maxwell AFB, Ala., on Oct. 25, 2023. (US Air Force photo by Melanie Rodgers Cox)
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LEAP Spotlight: Master Sgt. Luisa Martinez

LEAP Spotlight: Master Sgt. Luisa Martinez
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Cracking the code: LEAP Scholars study cybersecurity in today’s military

Seven Language Enabled Airman Program Scholars participated in the Air Force Culture and Language Center’s first overseas Guided Cyber Language Intensive Training Event, or Guided Cyber LITE, in Germany earlier this year. Pictured from left: Staff Sgt. Silvia Bowman, Capt. Stone Shoaf, Special Agent Schyler Turpin, Capt. Darren Hafke, Capt. Justin Williamson, Maj. Edward Wood, Senior Master Sgt. Benjamin Wilson, and Dr. Sandra Schoder from the Defense Language Institute Detachment at Air University and the guide for the LEAP Scholars in Germany. Photo by U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Jacob Wongwai.
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231018-F-KW266-1042

2nd Maintenance Squadron maintainers pose for a photo with retired Senior Master Sgt. John McNeece at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., October 18, 2023. McNeece served in the U.S. Air Force from 1952 to 1975 and worked as a maintainer when the B-52 was first introduced. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Seth Watson)
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231018-F-KW266-1034

Senior Airman Ethan Bianucci, 2nd Maintenance Squadron aerospace ground equipment specialist, talks with retired Senior Master Sgt. John McNeece at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., October 18, 2023. McNeece was among the first generation of B-52 maintainers during his time in service from 1952 until 1975. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Seth Watson)
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231018-F-KW266-1031

Retired Senior Master Sgt. John McNeece shares stories and advice with 2nd Maintenance Squadron maintainers at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., October 18, 2023. McNeece was among the first generation of B-52H Stratofortress maintainers during his time in service from 1952 until 1975. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Seth Watson)
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231018-F-KW266-1013

Airman Joshua Arreguin, a 2nd Maintenance Squadron fuel system specialist, shakes hands with retired Senior Master Sgt. John McNeece during McNeece's tour at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., October 18, 2023. McNeece was among the first generation of B-52 maintainers during his time in service from 1952 until 1975. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Seth Watson)
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Air Force Junior ROTC Flight Academy Helps Turn Dreams to Reality

Cadet Maria Hall poses with an Air Force T-38 Talon pilot after an incentive ride in 2020. Cadet Hall was recently notified that she had earned an Air Force pilot training slot.
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Air Force Junior ROTC Flight Academy Helps Turn Dreams to Reality

Cadet Maria Hall, left, co-pilots a light aircraft in 2021 as part of the Texas A&M Women in Aviation chapter she cofounded in 2020.
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Air Force Junior ROTC Flight Academy Helps Turn Dreams to Reality

Cadet Maria Hall (back row, 5th from right) poses at a recent professional development event with members of the Texas A&M Women in Aviation chapter that she cofounded in 2020.
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Air Force Junior ROTC Flight Academy Helps Turn Dreams to Reality

Cadet Maria Hall rides with Parsons Mounted Cavalry at Texas A&M University in 2022.
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Air Force Junior ROTC Flight Academy Helps Turn Dreams to Reality

Cadet Maria Hall poses at the Purdue University Airport during her Air Force Junior ROTC Flight Academy experience in 2018.
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Air Force Junior ROTC Flight Academy Helps Turn Dreams to Reality

Maria Hall, age 11, poses with her father in 2012. Hall's father had just earned his light sport pilot's license at a flight school in Arizona.
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Air Force Junior ROTC Flight Academy Helps Turn Dreams to Reality

Cadet Maria Hall poses for her senior portrait on the campus of Texas A&M University on Apr. 27, 2023. Hall will graduate next May with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and commission as a 2nd Lt. in the Air Force. She was recently notified of her selection for pilot training.
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Electronics Support

Soldiers use a backpack-carried electronic warfare system during training at Pohakuloa Training Area, Hawaii, Nov. 1, 2023.
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16th Air Force hosts Information Warfare WEPTAC

Information Warfare Weapons and Tactics Conference participants pose for a photo at 16th Air Force headquarters, Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, Oct. 23-27, 2023. This year’s WEPTAC brought together more than 120 IW experts from nine Air Force major commands across the globe to solve the toughest challenges and emerging IW obstacles. The IW experts ranged from information operations, weather, electronic warfare, public affairs, operations research, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, cyber and Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance. (U.S. Air Force photo by Matthew McGovern)
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