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Three members of the U.S. House of Representatives have put forward a bipartisan bill designed to bolster the resilience of Taiwan's undersea cables and other critical infrastructure in response to increasing threats from China, as reported by the Central News Agency (CNA).
According to the proposed legislation, the United States would upgrade undersea surveillance systems by deploying advanced sensors capable of identifying sabotage and delivering real-time intelligence to help Taiwan safeguard its essential cable networks. The bill also requires the US to work alongside its allies to assist Taiwan and regional partners in strengthening their ability to recover from attacks on undersea infrastructure and reduce service disruptions. Republican Representative Mike Lawler stated in a press release that as threats from the People's Republic of China (PRC) continue to intensify, the United States must take the lead in ensuring that undersea infrastructure in the region remains secure and resilient. The legislation comes after a series of recent disruptions to undersea cables involving Chinese vessels, which experts have described as "gray zone" tactics. These incidents, cited in the CNA report, include multiple occurrences near Taiwan's outlying islands between 2023 and last month. Lawler added that the bill aims to deter such actions by imposing sanctions on individuals or entities found responsible for, or complicit in, damaging undersea infrastructure affecting the US, Taiwan, or their regional allies. Democratic Representative Dave Min emphasised, as reported by CNA, that Taiwan's communication infrastructure plays a crucial role not only in its national security but also in global trade and regional stability. Min further stated that China's repeated interference with Taiwan's undersea cables is intentional and forms part of a broader strategy to isolate a democratic partner while testing the limits of authoritarian coercion without facing consequences. He also noted that the bill sends a clear message that the United States will not overlook "gray zone" tactics intended to undermine peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Meanwhile, a corresponding bill in the Senate, introduced by Republican Senator John Curtis and Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen, was approved by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in January, the CNA report added. (ANI)
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