Several US senators on Monday proposed a strategic subsea cables act of 2025 to spur US government engagement related to the security, installation and maintenance, and repair of undersea fiber-optic cables.
One of those proposing the bill, ranking Senate Foreign Relations Committee member Jeanne Shaheen, referred to fiber-optic cables as “strategic” and “critical infrastructure” that “form the bedrock of global Internet traffic,” a committee statement said.
The US must respond to the rise of cable cuts in the Baltic Sea and the Taiwan Strait, she said in a statement.
Photo courtesy of Taiwan Power Co
Another of the bill’s sponsors, US Senator John Barrasso, echoed Shaheen’s views, saying that adversaries such as China and Russia continue to target cables to “disrupt communications in Taiwan, and for our allies across Europe and the Middle East.”
The US should ensure that the vital telecommunications infrastructure is safeguarded from “terrorist threats,” Barrasso said.
The bill calls for greater US participation in international bodies such as the International Cable Protection Committee and increased US Department of State investment, including hiring at least two full-time staff dedicated to the effort.
It would require the US president to impose sanctions against people who intentionally damage undersea cables and establish an inter-agency committee to coordinate related efforts.
It would also mandate a federal strategy to work with industry partners and require federal agencies to develop procedures to ensure timely communication of threat information with private undersea cable operators.
Undersea cables connected to Taiwan have faced ongoing disruptions.
The National Security Bureau in September said that about seven to eight undersea cable breaks occurred around Taiwan over the past three years, with four occurring within two months of the beginning of this year.
A Chinese captain was found responsible for one of the aforementioned incidents in June.
In related news, members of the US House of Representatives have proposed a bill that requires the US secretary of state to develop a strategic approach to secure Taiwan’s membership in the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol).
Led by Republican Lance Gooden, the proposed Taiwan Interpol endorsement and inclusion act is cosponsored by lawmakers across party lines.
Gooden said Taiwan’s “proven” global crime-fighting capabilities are deserving of full membership of Interpol and that its inclusion would “fill a gap in the global security network and reinforce the effectiveness of international law enforcement cooperation.”
Taiwan has been excluded from Interpol since 1984.
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