A bipartisan bill aimed at protecting Taiwan's undersea communication cables from Chinese "gray zone tactics" was introduced in the US Senate yesterday, calling on the government to help strengthen cable resilience near Taiwan.
The bipartisan Taiwan Undersea Cable Resilience Initiative Act was introduced by Republican Senator John Curtis and Democratic Senator Jacky Rosen, both members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
The act calls on the US government to establish an initiative, led by the Department of State in coordination with the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security, as well as the Coast Guard, to deploy real-time monitoring systems, develop rapid-response protocols, improve maritime surveillance and strengthen international cooperation against sabotage.
Photo: CNA
Gray zone activities are ambiguous or unconventional tactics used to gain a strategic advantage without provoking open conflict.
According to a press release from the two senators, disrupting undersea cables is a key part of China's military strategy "to cripple Taiwan's communications in a conflict."
Since February 2023, at least 11 undersea cable disruptions have been reported around Taiwan, most of them linked to vessels suspected of deliberate interference, according to the press release.
"We can't stand idle as China ramps up its tactics to isolate Taiwan, including by sabotaging its vital undersea cables," Curtis said in a press release.
"By improving systems monitoring and helping increase cable resiliency, our bipartisan legislation sends a clear message: the United States stands with Taiwan and our allies in defending shared infrastructure, sovereignty, and freedom."
Also yesterday, Senators Curtis and Chris Van Hollen reintroduced bipartisan legislation supporting Taiwan's participation in international organizations amid Beijing's efforts to isolate it.
The Taiwan International Solidarity Act aims to clarify that United Nations General Assembly Resolution 2758 does not prevent the US from using its vote, voice and influence to oppose efforts to undermine Taiwan's position on the world stage.
The legislation also encourages the US to work with allies and partners to oppose the People's Republic of China's (PRC) efforts to undermine Taiwan's diplomatic relationships and partnerships globally.
"The United Nations must not become a platform for that distortion. It must stand for clarity," Curtis said in a separate press release. The bipartisan effort would ensure Washington pushes back against "false claims and stands up for Taiwan's dignity and right to self-determination."
A House version of the bill, introduced by Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly and Republican Rep. Young Kim, passed in May.
A similar bill passed the House in 2023 but was not considered by the Senate, so it had to be reintroduced after the new Congress convened on Jan. 3.
The two bills introduced yesterday must pass both the Senate and the House before the US president can sign or veto them.
UN General Assembly Resolution 2758, adopted in 1971, transferred China's seat at the UN from the Republic of China (Taiwan) to the PRC, effectively excluding Taiwan from the organization and its affiliates due to lack of recognition by the UN and most member states.
The military has spotted two Chinese warships operating in waters near Penghu County in the Taiwan Strait and sent its own naval and air forces to monitor the vessels, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said. Beijing sends warships and warplanes into the waters and skies around Taiwan on an almost daily basis, drawing condemnation from Taipei. While the ministry offers daily updates on the locations of Chinese military aircraft, it only rarely gives details of where Chinese warships are operating, generally only when it detects aircraft carriers, as happened last week. A Chinese destroyer and a frigate entered waters to the southwest
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Yilan County at 8:39pm tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter was 38.7km east-northeast of Yilan County Hall at a focal depth of 98.3km, the CWA’s Seismological Center said. The quake’s maximum intensity, which gauges the actual physical effect of a seismic event, was a level 4 on Taiwan’s 7-tier intensity scale, the center said. That intensity level was recorded in Yilan County’s Nanao Township (南澳), Hsinchu County’s Guansi Township (關西), Nantou County’s Hehuanshan (合歡山) and Hualien County’s Yanliao (鹽寮). An intensity of 3 was
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comment last year on Tokyo’s potential reaction to a Taiwan-China conflict has forced Beijing to rewrite its invasion plans, a retired Japanese general said. Takaichi told the Diet on Nov. 7 last year that a Chinese naval blockade or military attack on Taiwan could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, potentially allowing Tokyo to exercise its right to collective self-defense. Former Japan Ground Self-Defense Force general Kiyofumi Ogawa said in a recent speech that the remark has been interpreted as meaning Japan could intervene in the early stages of a Taiwan Strait conflict, undermining China’s previous assumptions
Taiwan Railways Corp (TRC) today announced that Shin Kong Mitsukoshi has been selected as the preferred bidder to operate the Taipei Railway Station shopping mall, replacing the current operator, Breeze Development Co Ltd. Among eight qualified firms that delivered presentations and were evaluated by a review committee, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi was ranked first, while Breeze was named the runner-up, the rail company said in a statement. Contract negotiations are to proceed in accordance with regulations, it said, adding that if negotiations with the top bidder fail, it could invite the second-ranked applicant to enter talks. Breeze in a statement today expressed doubts over
RSS