Philippines eyes Taiwan cable cooperation, Beijing objects
On.cc · 2 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
The Philippines is exploring deeper and more practical cooperation with Taiwan on protecting undersea cables, according to Felipe F. Carino III, deputy chief of mission at the Philippine mission to the United States. Speaking at the Center for a New American Security on Wednesday, October 21, Carino said cable security is linked to tensions in the South China Sea and described closer work with Taiwan as a pragmatic necessity for protecting shared interests in the Bashi Channel. Beijing responded on Thursday, October 22, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning saying there is no “grey area” on the Taiwan issue and urging Manila to honor the one-China principle in concrete terms.
Key Points
- Carino said Manila is seeking more practical and effective cooperation with Taiwan on undersea cable protection despite maintaining its one-China policy.
- He made the remarks at the Washington-based think tank Center for a New American Security on Wednesday, October 21
- Carino linked cable security to South China Sea tensions and said cooperation would protect Philippine and Taiwanese interests in the Bashi Channel
- He said undersea cables carry almost all intercontinental data traffic, while 60% to 67% of cybersecurity incidents occur in the region
- Asked about joint patrols or accountability for vessels disrupting communications, Carino said he had no details but such steps could become possible
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the story points to how infrastructure security, Taiwan-related diplomacy and South China Sea tensions are increasingly overlapping in nearby waters. Any expansion of cross-strait-adjacent security cooperation could sharpen regional political friction while drawing more attention to the resilience of data links that support finance, communications and trade across Asia