S. 2222: Taiwan Undersea Cable Resilience Initiative Act

The bill known as the Taiwan Undersea Cable Resilience Initiative Act aims to strengthen the security and resilience of undersea communication cables that are vital to Taiwan's economy, defense, and national security. These undersea cables are crucial for communication and commerce, and Taiwan is increasingly vulnerable to disruptions, especially from the Government of the People's Republic of China, which has used tactics to sabotage these cables and threaten Taiwan's infrastructure.

Key Objectives

• Establishment of an Initiative: The bill mandates the creation of the Taiwan Undersea Cable Resilience Initiative within a year of its enactment. This initiative will involve several U.S. government departments, including State, Defense, Homeland Security, and the Coast Guard.
• Protection of Undersea Cables: The primary focus of the initiative will be on protecting undersea cables close to Taiwan from threats, particularly from China.
• Advanced Monitoring: The initiative includes the development and deployment of advanced monitoring systems to detect potential disruptions or sabotage of undersea cables in real-time.
• Rapid Response Protocols: Rapid protocols will be established to repair severed cables or mitigate disruptions. These efforts will be coordinated with allies to ensure swift responses to attacks.
• Enhancement of Maritime Awareness: The bill calls for increased monitoring of maritime activities around Taiwan to detect any suspicious actions near undersea cables. This involves joint patrols and surveillance operations in key maritime zones.
• International Cooperation: The initiative seeks to establish cooperative frameworks with international partners to protect undersea cable networks, which includes participating in joint exercises and sharing intelligence on threats.
• Hardening Infrastructure: The bill promotes reinforcing undersea cables through improved burial depths and use of more resilient materials to reduce their vulnerability to both natural disasters and deliberate attacks.

Countering Threats

• Addressing Chinese Sabotage: The President is tasked with implementing strategies to counteract the use of sabotage by China as part of its hybrid warfare tactics against Taiwan.
• Raising Global Awareness: Efforts will be made to increase awareness of the risks posed by potential interference from China regarding undersea cables, through public diplomacy and international collaboration.

Sanctions for Sabotage

• Imposition of Sanctions: The bill provides for sanctions against individuals or entities from China that are determined to be responsible for or complicit in damaging undersea cables critical to Taiwan's national security.
• Types of Sanctions: Sanctions may include blocking property, prohibiting transactions involving these individuals, and revoking visas for those identified.

Report to Congress

The President is required to report to Congress every six months on any incidents of interference with undersea cables near Taiwan, as well as actions taken in response to those incidents.

Relevant Companies

None found