Taiwan Passes New Laws To Protect Critical Cables

TaiwanPlus News

Taiwan is set to increase penalties for tampering with undersea cables and other critical infrastructure, following several suspected incidents of sabotage in recent years.

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00:00The captain of a China-linked ship will spend three years in jail for tampering with the

00:04lifelines that keep an entire country online. Now Taiwanese lawmakers are pushing harsher

00:09penalties for similar crimes. The 24 undersea cables that connect Taiwan to its outlying islands

00:14and the rest of the world are proving tempting targets for saboteurs. In 2023, two China-linked

00:19vessels were suspected of tampering with cables. Similar incidents happened in January 2025,

00:24and again in February of the same year, a cable linking Taiwan to its outlying Penghu Islands

00:29was severed entirely. Many of these incidents are linked to China, which claims Taiwan as part of

00:34its territory. Defense analysts say these attacks on Taiwan's infrastructure are examples of China's

00:54grey zone warfare, hostile actions that do not rise to the level of open conflict.

01:11Part of the plan is harsher punishments, introduced through amendments to three laws. Moving forward,

01:16those guilty of theft, destruction, or other illegal acts endangering undersea cables could face up to

01:24$64,000. Negligent damage, meaning accidents, can result in six months imprisonment and a fine of

01:31up to $64,000. Lawmakers also passed a resolution to publish information on cable's location to make it

01:38more difficult to claim damage was accidental or the result of ignorance. Still, some experts think the

01:45changes do not go far enough. They also point out that for some, the reward could outweigh the risk.

02:01Taiwan is not alone in facing these tactics. Russian and Chinese linked ships are suspected of cutting

02:29cables in the Baltic Sea as well. Taiwan has signed agreements on cable initiatives with some

02:34European countries, and the U.S. government has moved to consider new legislation on the matter.

02:39This legislation is another step, but not the final one, in ensuring that

02:42Taiwan's critical infrastructure remains protected. Howard Chang and Larry Siano for Taiwan Plus.

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