Philippines, Taiwan explore cable security ties — SkimNews
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- Philippines is exploring deeper cooperation with Taiwan, including knowledge-sharing and capacity building, to protect undersea cables and address gray-zone activity notwithstanding its one-China policy.
- Felipe F. Carino III said cables carry nearly all intercontinental data flows and that 60–67% of cyber incidents occur in the region, linking their protection to Philippine and Taiwanese interests.
- Philippines' coast guard deployed its largest vessel and an aircraft this month to challenge a Chinese research ship off northern Batanes province, near undersea cable corridors.
- Andrea Yang said Taiwan would put more resources into unmanned systems for maritime surveillance and cited the jailing of a Chinese ship captain over undersea-cable damage.
- Taiwan urged the United Nations to consider mechanisms to prevent “bad behavior” affecting undersea cables.
- Felipe F. Carino III provided no details on joint patrols or accountability for vessels disrupting communications, while describing the Philippines-Taiwan cooperation as “constantly evolving.”
Why it matters: For the Philippines and Taiwan, the stakes are concrete: Carino said cables carry nearly all intercontinental data flows and 60–67% of cyber incidents occur in the region. Knowledge-sharing and capacity building therefore give both governments a practical way to protect the Bashi Channel while Manila maintains its one-China policy.
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