Manila, Taipei Weigh Joint Defense of Undersea Cables

The Philippines is exploring deeper cooperation with Taiwan to protect the undersea cables carrying the world’s data, even though Manila’s one-China policy recognizes Beijing, not Taipei, a Philippine diplomat said Wednesday.

Felipe F. Carino III, Manila’s deputy chief of mission in Washington, told a seminar at the Center for a New American Security that a “pragmatic and practical approach” with Taiwan was needed to protect shared interests in the Bashi Channel, the waterway between Taiwan and the Philippines. He tied cable security to South China Sea tensions, but didn’t name China.

What’s at Stake

The numbers Carino cited show why action feels urgent. Undersea cables carry nearly all intercontinental data flows, he said, and “60-67% of cyber incidents happen in our region.” Hospitals, banks, schools and ordinary households depend on the infrastructure, though few people ever see it.

“These are very important features that should be protected, so much so that we are exploring deeper cooperation with our friends in Taiwan,” Carino said. He added that the Philippines was doing so “notwithstanding our one China policy.”

The two sides are considering “practical and more pragmatic approaches in cooperation, including knowledge-sharing and capacity building,” he said. “We see this cooperation leading towards ... addressing the gray-zone issues in our part of the world.”

Asked whether cooperation could include joint patrols or accountability for vessels that disrupt communications, Carino said he didn’t have details. Still, he left the door open. “I'm sure that this is a constantly evolving cooperation, and some of the things that you mentioned may be actually coming to fruition,” he said.

Pressure Without a Shot Fired

“Gray-zone” describes coercion that stays below the threshold of open conflict. The Philippines and Taiwan have repeatedly complained about Chinese activities they say are meant to pressure them without direct confrontation. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has overlapping claims with Taiwan and the Philippines in the South China Sea.

Pressure is also appearing near the cables. This month, the Philippine coast guard said it sent its largest vessel and an aircraft to challenge a Chinese research ship operating off northern Batanes province, near undersea cable corridors.

Taipei has stepped up its protection efforts after several incidents involving cables and China-linked vessels. The island’s links to the rest of the world run largely through those lines.

Calls for an International Framework

At the same seminar, Andrea Yang, Taiwan’s deputy representative in Washington, pointed to Taiwan’s jailing of a Chinese ship captain over damage to an undersea cable. She said Taiwan would put more resources into developing unmanned systems to improve maritime surveillance.

Yang also argued that individual governments shouldn’t handle cable interference alone. The United Nations should take up the issue and consider mechanisms to prevent “bad behavior,” she said.

That appeal highlights a gap. Cables cross national boundaries and open waters, but the tools for holding anyone accountable for damaging them remain limited. Taiwan’s court case shows one possible route. Yang’s call for UN action suggests it isn’t enough on its own.

Why This Matters:

Undersea cables are shared public infrastructure. When someone cuts or tampers with one, the costs hit people who had nothing to do with the dispute: businesses that lose connectivity, families who can’t reach relatives, and public services that rely on stable data. Carino’s figure—that nearly all intercontinental data flows run through these lines—shows how exposed the infrastructure is. His stated preference for cooperation and capacity building, along with Yang’s call for UN mechanisms, points to shared rules and multilateral institutions rather than unilateral escalation. Whether those institutions can deliver remains an open question. Manila’s willingness to deepen ties with Taipei despite its one-China policy suggests governments see current protections as insufficient, while accountability for gray-zone disruption is still being worked out as it happens.