Unseen Battles: The West vs. China's Digital Dominance

In the escalating global tech supremacy battle, national security experts are raising alarms about China's expanding control in telecommunications. This stealth conflict unfolds beneath oceans, across data centers, and through surveillance platforms, posing significant threats to Western democracy and security.

Foreign Minister Salih Hudayar of the East Turkestan government-in-exile highlights the strategic importance of undersea cables. Controlled increasingly by Chinese state-linked firms, these cables form digital lifelines that can expose sensitive data, potentially crippling Western economies and militaries during crises.

Hudayar also points to China's rapid development of AI data centers in East Turkestan, using Western-manufactured chips despite export bans, underscoring the West's role in inadvertently empowering China's tech advancements. Additionally, TikTok, termed a "surveillance platform," reportedly aids Beijing in data harvesting, raising concerns of future geopolitical manipulation.

(With inputs from agencies.)