Philippines exploring deeper cooperation with Taiwan to protect undersea cables

WASHINGTON — The Philippines is exploring deeper cooperation with Taiwan on protecting undersea cables and addressing "gray-zone" activity, despite Manila's one-China policy, which recognizes Beijing and not Taipei, a Philippine diplomat said on Wednesday.

The Philippines and Taiwan have repeatedly complained about Chinese activities designed to pressure the countries without direct confrontation. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has overlapping claims with both Taiwan and the Philippines in the South China Sea.

Felipe F. Carino III, Manila's deputy chief of mission in Washington, told a seminar this "pragmatic and practical approach" with Taiwan was necessary to protect mutual interests in the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines.

Speaking to Washington's Center for a New American Security, Carino linked cable security to South China Sea tensions, but did not mention China by name.

He said security of undersea cables was vital given that they carried nearly all intercontinental data flows "and that 60-67% of cyber incidents happen in our region."

"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, adding that the Philippines was doing so "notwithstanding our one China policy."

He said the Philippines and Taiwan were exploring "practical and more pragmatic approaches in cooperation, including knowledge-sharing and capacity building" and added: "We see this cooperation leading towards ... addressing the gray-zone issues in our part of the world."

Asked if this cooperation could include joint patrols or accountability for vessels that disrupt communications, Carino said he did not have details, but said: "I'm sure that this is a constantly evolving cooperation, and some of the things that you mentioned may be actually coming to fruition."

Taipei has stepped up efforts to protect undersea communications links, which are vital to the island's connections to the rest of the world, after several incidents involving cables and China-linked vessels.

This month, the Philippine Coast Guard said it had deployed its largest vessel and an aircraft to challenge a Chinese research ship operating off northern Batanes province near undersea cable corridors.

At the same seminar, Andrea Yang, Taiwan's deputy representative in Washington, referred to the jailing in Taiwan 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 said interference with undersea cables was an issue that should be taken up by the United Nations, which should consider mechanisms to prevent "bad behavior." — Reuters