The cross-regional nature of GUIDE reflects countries’ desire to work together on shared security challenges that transcend geographical regions, said MINDEF.
“GUIDE is an example of how geography is not a barrier, and that countries can collaborate in flexible, issue-based groupings to shape the rules and norms in emerging domains,” it added.
Mr Chan said: “Today, the waterways are not just avenues for us to conduct our trade, but underneath those waters are also critical underwater infrastructure that connects our energy grid, our telecommunications grid.”
He added: “We don’t want a situation whereby such critical infrastructures are disrupted and all of us get the negative knock-on effect … any attack on one part of the network is an attack on the entire network.
“Any disruption on one part of the network is a disruption on the entire network, and that is why it gives us great joy to see so many countries – from Europe to the Middle East to Southeast Asia, Asia Pacific – coming together.”
Global communications networks depend on subsea cables, which carry more than 95 per cent of all internet and data traffic under the ocean. States also rely on subsea energy transmission infrastructure, such as oil and gas pipelines, as well as power cables.
But recent incidents involving cuts or damage to subsea cables have underscored the vulnerabilities of the critical underwater infrastructure. They also showed the difficulties in responding outside of territorial waters.
The defence establishments supporting GUIDE are exploring potential areas of cooperation, such as through inter-regional information-sharing to issue early warnings, organising expert exchanges on critical underwater infrastructure security, as well as exchanging points-of-contact to improve potential incident and crisis response.
The broader regional and international community can also participate in GUIDE, said MINDEF.
“Singapore is heartened by the support received and looks forward to working with our partners to find practical ways and develop follow-on initiatives to implement the various areas of cooperation outlined in GUIDE,” it added.