Kuala Lampur, Sept. 16 -- In Tokyo, the Japanese government has launched a meticulous investigation into the supply chains of undersea telecommunications cables, with particular attention on their exposure to Chinese firms for now.

But the general sense of caution will not stop there at all since the spectrum and nature of threats are not necessarily country specific. Non state actors can be just as hostile to Japan.

At first glance, the initiative may appear technical and narrowly focused. Yet beneath the surface, it signals something much larger: an awareness that in the 21st century, the ownership, construction, and control of the wires under the sea are as consequential as the control of land and air above.

For Asean, which is incr...