The U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) announced on September 14 it will fund a feasibility study for a $14 billion subsea internet cable linking Thailand, the U.S., and five other Southeast Asian countries. The cable is designed to bypass the South China Sea, aiming to protect the region's digital infrastructure from potential Chinese influence, according to fortune.com.
This initiative reflects Washington’s strategic effort to secure internet infrastructure amid geopolitical tensions. Muhammad Faizal Bin Abdul Rahman, a research fellow at Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University, noted that conflicts in the Middle East and Europe demonstrate how geopolitical crises can disrupt subsea cables physically or digitally. The U.S. and its Asia-Pacific allies are concerned China might employ similar tactics to exert control over the region’s internet connectivity.
The project highlights the growing divide in Southeast Asia’s technology landscape, where countries are aligning with competing digital ecosystems. Singapore joined the U.S.-led Pax Silica alliance last December but is also considering joining China’s World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization. Other nations like the Philippines have joined the U.S. bloc, while Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, and Myanmar are part of China’s alliance, underscoring the region’s split between Washington and Beijing’s tech influence.
The feasibility study funded by USTDA marks a key step toward constructing the cable, which aims to enhance internet security and resilience for Southeast Asia. The project underscores the strategic importance of subsea infrastructure in the broader context of U.S.-China competition over technology and regional influence.