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.

Indonesia’s smart-city vision is advancing, yet structural challenges — from uneven local capacities to fragmented cyber governance — continue to slow nationwide progress. The article contrasts these gaps with the integrated model of Nusantara and highlights the need for broader reforms and capacity building to achieve a resilient, digitally connected urban system.

Smart cities, built on deeply interconnected digital systems, are increasingly vulnerable to hybrid threats in which cyberattacks and influence operations converge, making trust in technical and communicative infrastructures a central stability factor. Using Indonesia’s ambitious smart-city projects as an illustrative case, the article highlights how technological, societal and informational dynamics intersect, and how Cyfluence operations are becoming a pivotal risk within t

Tonga votes on 20 Nov 2025. The Pacific monarchy faces economic dependence, regional competition, and growing information disorder. Local efforts exist, but limited institutional capacity leaves gaps ahead of the elections.

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.