In the great power competition between the United States and the People’s Republic of China (PRC), subsea cables have emerged as critical theater, given that they are indispensable to international communications and are vulnerable to deniable intentional disruption; accidental cuts; surveillance, particularly at cable landing sites; and other risks.
mandag 8. desember 2025
China’s Underwater Power Play: The PRC’s New Subsea Cable-Cutting Ship Spooks International Security Experts
Over the March 22 weekend, it was reported that the China Ship Scientific Research Centre (CSSRC) and its affiliated State Key Laboratory of Deep-sea Manned Vehicles have developed a ship able to cut cable lines at depths of up to 4,000 meters (13,123 feet). Though subsea cable ships are outfitted with equipment to repair damaged or cut cables, the record depths to which this ship can go and the increasing tension in maritime areas with critical subsea infrastructure suggest that China has strengthened a tool in its arsenal, whether for intentionally cutting cables or supporting “marine resource development,” as alleged by Chinese scientists.
In the great power competition between the United States and the People’s Republic of China (PRC), subsea cables have emerged as critical theater, given that they are indispensable to international communications and are vulnerable to deniable intentional disruption; accidental cuts; surveillance, particularly at cable landing sites; and other risks.
In the great power competition between the United States and the People’s Republic of China (PRC), subsea cables have emerged as critical theater, given that they are indispensable to international communications and are vulnerable to deniable intentional disruption; accidental cuts; surveillance, particularly at cable landing sites; and other risks.
Security concerns grow for critical US-Asia deep-sea cables
Undersea cables are the backbone of globalization in the internet era — running across the ocean and sea floors to link nations and continents on different sides of the world. A 2021 report by Total Telecom puts their number at close to 500, with a combined length of around 1.3 million kilometers (808,000 miles). The numbers have only grown since.
"All of global data exchange flows through these cables," said Johannes Peters, the head of the Center for Maritime Strategy and Security at the Christian Albrechts University in Kiel.
"The internet, payment orders, any kind of information you can think of, any kind of spoken communication, it runs almost exclusively through these cables," Peters told DW. "On a global level, we are dependent on them."But these communication networks are increasingly seen as targets for potential sabotage.
The danger has been made plain by an ongoing series of incidents in the Baltic Sea. A study by the Washington University in Seattle found some 10 cables have been severed since 2022, including seven between November 2024 and January 2025, with additional incidents reported this summer.
"All of global data exchange flows through these cables," said Johannes Peters, the head of the Center for Maritime Strategy and Security at the Christian Albrechts University in Kiel.
"The internet, payment orders, any kind of information you can think of, any kind of spoken communication, it runs almost exclusively through these cables," Peters told DW. "On a global level, we are dependent on them."But these communication networks are increasingly seen as targets for potential sabotage.
The danger has been made plain by an ongoing series of incidents in the Baltic Sea. A study by the Washington University in Seattle found some 10 cables have been severed since 2022, including seven between November 2024 and January 2025, with additional incidents reported this summer.
China’s trade surplus tops $1 trillion as its exports surge
China’s exports rebounded in November after an unexpected contraction the previous month, pushing its trade surplus past $1 trillion for the first time, according to data released Monday. Exports climbed 5.9% from a year earlier in November while imports rose just under 2%.
The customs data released on Monday also showed that shipments to the U.S. dropped nearly 29% year-on-year. But as trade with the U.S. weakens, China is diversifying its export markets throughout Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America. China’s exports had contracted just over 1% in October. November’s worldwide exports of $330.3 billion exceeded economists’ estimates. Imports totaled $218.6 billion for the month.
The nearly $1.08 trillion trade surplus for the first 11 months of this year is a record high, surpassing the $992 billion surplus for all of 2024, based on official data compiled by FactSet.
The customs data released on Monday also showed that shipments to the U.S. dropped nearly 29% year-on-year. But as trade with the U.S. weakens, China is diversifying its export markets throughout Southeast Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America. China’s exports had contracted just over 1% in October. November’s worldwide exports of $330.3 billion exceeded economists’ estimates. Imports totaled $218.6 billion for the month.
The nearly $1.08 trillion trade surplus for the first 11 months of this year is a record high, surpassing the $992 billion surplus for all of 2024, based on official data compiled by FactSet.
Trump is proposing a $12B aid package for farmers hit hard by his trade war with China
President Donald Trump is planning a $12 billion farm aid package, according to a White House official — a boost to farmers who have struggled to sell their crops while getting hit by rising costs after the president raised tariffs on China as part of a broader trade war.
According to the official, who was granted anonymity to speak ahead of a planned announcement, Trump will unveil the plan Monday afternoon at a White House roundtable with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, lawmakers and farmers who grow corn, cotton, sorghum, soybeans, rice, cattle, wheat, and potatoes.
According to the official, who was granted anonymity to speak ahead of a planned announcement, Trump will unveil the plan Monday afternoon at a White House roundtable with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins, lawmakers and farmers who grow corn, cotton, sorghum, soybeans, rice, cattle, wheat, and potatoes.
Thailand launches airstrikes along border with Cambodia as tensions reignite
Thailand launched airstrikes along the disputed border with Cambodia on Monday as both sides accused the other of breaking a ceasefire that halted fighting earlier this year. Longstanding border disputes erupted into five days of combat in July that killed dozens of soldiers and civilians. U.S. President Donald Trump pushed the Southeast Asian neighbors to sign a truce agreement in October, but tensions have continued to simmer.
The Thai ministry of defense said that more than 35,000 people have left areas near the border for shelters and more are believed to have fled to stay with relatives elsewhere, while Cambodia’s Information Minister Neth Pheaktra said that residents of several villages near the border have been evacuated.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said in a televised speech that military operations would be carried out as necessary to defend the country and protect public safety.
The Thai ministry of defense said that more than 35,000 people have left areas near the border for shelters and more are believed to have fled to stay with relatives elsewhere, while Cambodia’s Information Minister Neth Pheaktra said that residents of several villages near the border have been evacuated.
Thai Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul said in a televised speech that military operations would be carried out as necessary to defend the country and protect public safety.
China’s exports grow 5.9% in November, while US shipments drop 29%
China’s exports returned to growth in November following an unexpected contraction the month before, although shipments to the United States dropped nearly 29% from a year earlier in an eighth straight month of double-digit declines.
Overall exports from China in November were 5.9% higher than last year in dollar terms, according to customs data released Monday, at $330.3 billion, exceeding economists’ estimates. That was an improvement from a 1.1% contraction in October.
Underscoring a widening gap between overall exports and imports, the customs data showed that China’s trade surplus for the first 11 months surpassed the $1 trillion mark, at nearly $1.08 trillion. That’s a record high for any single year and is more than the $992 billion surplus in all of 2024, based on official data compiled by FactSet.
While exports from China to the U.S. have fallen for most of the year, shipments have surged to other destinations, including Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa and the European Union.
Overall exports from China in November were 5.9% higher than last year in dollar terms, according to customs data released Monday, at $330.3 billion, exceeding economists’ estimates. That was an improvement from a 1.1% contraction in October.
Underscoring a widening gap between overall exports and imports, the customs data showed that China’s trade surplus for the first 11 months surpassed the $1 trillion mark, at nearly $1.08 trillion. That’s a record high for any single year and is more than the $992 billion surplus in all of 2024, based on official data compiled by FactSet.
While exports from China to the U.S. have fallen for most of the year, shipments have surged to other destinations, including Southeast Asia, Latin America, Africa and the European Union.
søndag 7. desember 2025
Japan is facing a dementia crisis – can technology help?
Last year, more than 18,000 older people living with dementia left their homes and wandered off in Japan. Almost 500 were later found dead. Police say such cases have doubled since 2012, underscoring a growing strain on the world's oldest society. The crisis is further compounded by a shrinking workforce and tight limits on foreign workers coming in to provide care.
Japan's government has identified dementia as one of its most urgent policy challenges, with the Health Ministry estimating that dementia-related health and social care costs will reach 14 trillion yen ($90bn; £67bn) by 2030 - up from nine trillion yen in 2025.
In its most recent strategy, the government has signalled a stronger pivot toward technology to ease the pressure.
Japan's government has identified dementia as one of its most urgent policy challenges, with the Health Ministry estimating that dementia-related health and social care costs will reach 14 trillion yen ($90bn; £67bn) by 2030 - up from nine trillion yen in 2025.
In its most recent strategy, the government has signalled a stronger pivot toward technology to ease the pressure.
THE GUARDIAN INTERVIEWS CHINESE FIGHTERS FOR UKRAINE
The involvement of Chinese nationals in Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine received widespread media attention earlier this year. This included an extended interview by Chinese journalist Chai Jing with one such combatant, "Macaron," which was was subsequently translated in two parts by CDT. The much smaller number of Chinese fighters on the Ukrainian side has received less notice. One notable exception is Peng Chenliang, who was killed in 2024 and, before joining the war, had reportedly been detained for seven months in China over his anti-Russia, pro-Ukraine posts on X. At The Guardian this week, Amy Hawkins reported on the stories of several other Chinese nationals fighting for Ukraine.
NETIZEN VOICES: AS SINO-JAPANESE TENSIONS RISE, “TOURISM IS TREATED LIKE A CHAMBERPOT, A DISPOSABLE TOOL”
The diplomatic crisis between China and Japan continues to intensify, following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s affirmation last month of Japan’s willingness to defend Taiwan in the event of Chinese naval blockade of the island, a situation she described as a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan. Takaichi’s comments, made in response to a question from an opposition legislator in the Japanese Diet, were a marked departure from the Japanese government’s long-standing doctrine of “strategic ambiguity” regarding a potential conflict over Taiwan.
Her remarks drew furious responses from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chinese consular officials in Japan, and prompted the Chinese government to issue an advisory against travel to Japan, halt Japanese seafood imports, cancel youth exchange programs and concerts by Japanese performers, and step up coast guard patrols around the disputed Senkaku Islands (known as the Diaoyu Islands in China).
Her remarks drew furious responses from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chinese consular officials in Japan, and prompted the Chinese government to issue an advisory against travel to Japan, halt Japanese seafood imports, cancel youth exchange programs and concerts by Japanese performers, and step up coast guard patrols around the disputed Senkaku Islands (known as the Diaoyu Islands in China).
Chinese jets directed fire-control radar at Japanese aircraft, Japan says
Japan said on Sunday that Chinese fighter jets had directed fire-control radar at Japanese military aircraft in two “dangerous” incidents near Japan’s Okinawa islands, an account Beijing denied. “These radar illuminations went beyond what is necessary for the safe flight of aircraft,” Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi posted on X, adding that Japan had lodged a protest with China over Saturday’s “regrettable” incident.
Meeting with Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles in Tokyo, Koizumi said Japan would respond “resolutely and calmly” to China’s conduct to maintain regional peace and stability.
A Bollywood film is turning India’s monument to love into a symbol of division
After a lifetime spent reciting the eternal love story of the Taj Mahal, veteran tour guide Vishu Das says his faith is shattered.
“The story we have been telling all these years – what if it turns out to be a lie?” he asks, distraught as he looks at the monument from a nearby rooftop. His desperation leads to a radical suggestion: “Could we not just run a DNA test on the Taj Mahal?”
The moment ends with a bleak conclusion: “We are spreading a lie.”
This is a scene from Indian director Tushar Goel’s controversial film “The Taj Story,” released in October, which challenges the official history of one of the world’s most famous monuments to love. In the scene, Das is advancing a theory widely debunked by historians: that the 17th-century Taj Mahal is not a Muslim mausoleum, but a Hindu palace, captured by Islamic rulers and “repurposed” for their own use.
“The story we have been telling all these years – what if it turns out to be a lie?” he asks, distraught as he looks at the monument from a nearby rooftop. His desperation leads to a radical suggestion: “Could we not just run a DNA test on the Taj Mahal?”
The moment ends with a bleak conclusion: “We are spreading a lie.”
This is a scene from Indian director Tushar Goel’s controversial film “The Taj Story,” released in October, which challenges the official history of one of the world’s most famous monuments to love. In the scene, Das is advancing a theory widely debunked by historians: that the 17th-century Taj Mahal is not a Muslim mausoleum, but a Hindu palace, captured by Islamic rulers and “repurposed” for their own use.
What Putin and Modi got out of Delhi meeting
Russian President Vladimir Putin will wind up a packed day in India at the place where he began his official engagements - with a banquet at the president's house, where he received a guard of honour in the morning. In between, he held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, attended a business forum and announced the launch of Russia Today, a Kremlin-funded state-controlled TV network.
The Russian leader has faced diplomatic isolation since the Ukraine war began in 2022 and the red carpet laid down by Delhi would have sent a strong message to the West. But what exactly did Delhi and Moscow get out of the visit? Here's our take.
The Russian leader has faced diplomatic isolation since the Ukraine war began in 2022 and the red carpet laid down by Delhi would have sent a strong message to the West. But what exactly did Delhi and Moscow get out of the visit? Here's our take.
lørdag 6. desember 2025
Torbjørn Færøvik: Tempelet som mange elsker - og enda flere hater
Millioner av japanere elsker dette tempelet – og 1,4 milliarder kinesere hater det.
Porten til Yasukuni-tempelet i Tokyo åpner allerede klokken seks om morgenen. Før dagen er omme, har tusener besøkt det. De vandrer opp en lang allé bevoktet av eviggrønne trær, til de får øye på en portal som markerer overgangen fra menneskenes til gudenes rom. Her sømmer det seg å stanse og bukke dypt, skjønt mange, særlig intetanende turister, rusler uanfektet videre.
I Japan finnes talløse portaler av denne typen, kalt torii. Vanligvis består de av to vertikale stolper og én eller to horisontale bjelker. Ofte er de rødmalte, men denne er støpt i bronse og sies å være en av landets største.
Yasukuni ble grunnlagt i 1869 av keiser Meiji, kort etter Meiji-restaurasjonen, for å ære falne i borgerkrigen som brakte ham tilbake til makten. Ti år senere fikk det navnet Yasukuni Jinja, «tempelet for en fredelig nasjon». Men for Kina er det et symbol på terror og krig, for i dag hedrer det alle de 2,46 millioner japanske soldater som har falt for fedrelandet siden 1800-tallet – også fjorten av de mest sentrale krigsforbryterne som ble dømt under Tokyo-prosessene i 1946.
En provokasjon! freser de kinesiske lederne.
Stuck in the Mud: Climate Chaos Deepens Divide on China’s Farmlands
On a gray October afternoon, 60-year-old Liang Aiqin peeled open ear after ear of corn, her frown deepening after each one. More than half were streaked with black and green mold; a few had already begun to sprout.
Her daughter, standing beside her on their two-hectare plot, muttered, “Another year of work for nothing.” Of the corn that had barely survived the summer drought in central China’s Henan province, only about a third made it through the autumn rains.
A few hundred meters away, Wan Jinhu’s 77 hectares took losses too, but still pulled in about 550 kilograms per mu (around 8.25 tons per hectare) — a harvest close to what smallholders manage in a normal year.Years of investment had built him a buffer: a drying tower, two tracked harvesters, a mobile dryer, and multiple seed varieties to hedge against whatever weather arrived. “The weather has been too strange, and margins are basically gone,” Wan said. “But if you expand, strengthen, and manage carefully, you can still make it work.”
Her daughter, standing beside her on their two-hectare plot, muttered, “Another year of work for nothing.” Of the corn that had barely survived the summer drought in central China’s Henan province, only about a third made it through the autumn rains.
A few hundred meters away, Wan Jinhu’s 77 hectares took losses too, but still pulled in about 550 kilograms per mu (around 8.25 tons per hectare) — a harvest close to what smallholders manage in a normal year.Years of investment had built him a buffer: a drying tower, two tracked harvesters, a mobile dryer, and multiple seed varieties to hedge against whatever weather arrived. “The weather has been too strange, and margins are basically gone,” Wan said. “But if you expand, strengthen, and manage carefully, you can still make it work.”
After Exposé, China Probes Sale of Sex Dolls Resembling Children
Chinese authorities and major e-commerce platforms are investigating the sale of sex dolls designed to resemble children after a domestic media investigation found dozens of such products on online marketplaces.
In an undercover investigation published Wednesday, Shanghai-based media outlet The Paper revealed online listings often used terms such as “child-faced,” “Lolita,” and “young girl” to market the dolls, triggering widespread public outcry and renewed calls for regulation.
The exposé follows a November report by France’s consumer watchdog, which found sex dolls designed to resemble children being sold online by global fast-fashion retailer Shein. The report drew attention from Chinese netizens, who then flagged similar listings on Chinese platforms, prompting The Paper to investigate.
In an undercover investigation published Wednesday, Shanghai-based media outlet The Paper revealed online listings often used terms such as “child-faced,” “Lolita,” and “young girl” to market the dolls, triggering widespread public outcry and renewed calls for regulation.
The exposé follows a November report by France’s consumer watchdog, which found sex dolls designed to resemble children being sold online by global fast-fashion retailer Shein. The report drew attention from Chinese netizens, who then flagged similar listings on Chinese platforms, prompting The Paper to investigate.
Hong Kong Fire: Hopes of Bright Future End on Darkest Day
For many of the people in the towering Wang Fuk Court, scene of one of Hong Kong’s deadliest fires on Nov. 26, the high-rise complex is the only home they have ever known. Located in the city’s northern Tai Po District, far from downtown, the community is part of the Home Ownership Scheme, a government-run program that provides subsidized public housing to low- and middle-income residents.
With 1,984 apartments across eight buildings, each covering 48 to 54 square meters, homes here initially sold for HK$116,000 to HK$159,100 ($14,906 to $20,445) when construction was completed in 1983.
With 1,984 apartments across eight buildings, each covering 48 to 54 square meters, homes here initially sold for HK$116,000 to HK$159,100 ($14,906 to $20,445) when construction was completed in 1983.
How Hong Kong Is Trying to Stamp Out Sparks of Unrest After Deadly Fire
Hong Kong put out one fire. Now it’s dealing with the next.
The first, an actual blaze in a densely-populated residential complex, took days to extinguish and killed at least 159 people; the second, sparks of public discontent fueled by grief and frustration, authorities are continuing to try to stamp out.
Since the fire at Wang Fuk Court broke out on Nov. 26, several individuals—not only those accused of having direct responsibility for the fire but also those who, according to the government, “impact Hong Kong’s social stability and endanger national security”—have been arrested.
“Some external forces with ulterior motives and anti-China elements have attempted to smear rescue efforts and incite social division and confrontation,” a spokesperson for the Hong Kong government said Wednesday in a statement, adding that the city will “not tolerate” actions which “disregard the current predicament, distort the truth, and especially criminal acts intended to incite hatred against the government.”
The first, an actual blaze in a densely-populated residential complex, took days to extinguish and killed at least 159 people; the second, sparks of public discontent fueled by grief and frustration, authorities are continuing to try to stamp out.
Since the fire at Wang Fuk Court broke out on Nov. 26, several individuals—not only those accused of having direct responsibility for the fire but also those who, according to the government, “impact Hong Kong’s social stability and endanger national security”—have been arrested.
“Some external forces with ulterior motives and anti-China elements have attempted to smear rescue efforts and incite social division and confrontation,” a spokesperson for the Hong Kong government said Wednesday in a statement, adding that the city will “not tolerate” actions which “disregard the current predicament, distort the truth, and especially criminal acts intended to incite hatred against the government.”
How Donald Trump brings MAGA ideals into global politics
Days after the presidential election in Honduras, the two leading candidates are still neck and neck. At one point, only about 500 votes were separating the centrist Salvador Nasralla and the conservative Nasry Asfura.
This was reason enough for US President Donald Trump to pipe up for his favorite, Asfura. "Looks like Honduras is trying to change the results of their Presidential Election. If they do, there will be hell to pay!" he posted on his own social media platform Truth Social.
There have been allegations of election fraud on both sides. This is not uncommon in Honduras, where serious allegations of the like overshadowed the elections of 2013 and 2017. But since Honduras is a small country with little influence over global politics, why has Trump reacted so strongly?
For Cathryn Clüver-Ashbrook, a trans-Atlantic expert at the independent German Bertelsmann Foundation, the US president has clearly taken a liking to the idea of political spheres of influence.
This was reason enough for US President Donald Trump to pipe up for his favorite, Asfura. "Looks like Honduras is trying to change the results of their Presidential Election. If they do, there will be hell to pay!" he posted on his own social media platform Truth Social.
There have been allegations of election fraud on both sides. This is not uncommon in Honduras, where serious allegations of the like overshadowed the elections of 2013 and 2017. But since Honduras is a small country with little influence over global politics, why has Trump reacted so strongly?
For Cathryn Clüver-Ashbrook, a trans-Atlantic expert at the independent German Bertelsmann Foundation, the US president has clearly taken a liking to the idea of political spheres of influence.
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