Athena Tong argues China’s Western Pacific conduct is strategic and consistent, not episodic. Maritime gray-zone moves are paired with the PLA’s “Three Warfares” and amplified through FIMI: lawfare manufactures legal-administrative pretexts, media operations seize the narrative, and psychological pressure normalizes coercive presence.

Cyfluence represents the convergence of technical infiltration, sabotage, data exfiltration, information manipulation, and narrative campaigns - all embedded within mutually reinforcing, influence-centered kill chains. It is the comprehensive expression of how power is applied and projected across today’s interconnected information environments.

Viral images featuring the ‘One Piece’ pirate flag, adopted as a symbol by protestors, made front page news and social media was soon flooded with cross-country messages of support and solidarity. In this CRC Spotlight article, we examine the potential operational implications of this development: how commercial ride hailing apps can serve as channels for on-the-ground support and how they might represent a new vector for Influence Operations.