Taiwan launches international initiative for submarine cable safety

Redazione RHC : 1 November 2025 09:08

On October 28, 2025, during the Taiwan-EU Submarine Cable Safety Cooperation Forum held in Taipei, Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung introduced the “International Initiative for Submarine Cable Risk Management” , stressing that it is not a Taiwan-only project, but a global cooperation agreement .

A partnership for the resilience of digital infrastructure

The event, jointly organized by the Center for Science, Democracy and Society (DSET) , the Formosa Club and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs , brought together experts, government representatives and European institutions.

Among the speakers was Richards Kols , president of the Formosa Club of Taipei and member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the European Parliament , who opened the forum.

In his speech , Lin highlighted how submarine cables represent a critical infrastructure for global communications, but at the same time vulnerable to accidents and threats.
In the Indo-Pacific region, frequently hit by earthquakes, cable failures are a constant problem.

Added to this is the damage caused by human activities such as fishing, dredging, anchoring and offshore construction , which cause hundreds of outages every year and entail significant maintenance costs for governments and operators.

Emerging threats: sabotage and hybrid warfare

The minister expressed concern about the risks of deliberate sabotage , stressing how the intentional cutting of cables could be used as a tool of hybrid warfare or geopolitical coercion , capable of compromising a country’s national security and economy.

In recent years, Taiwan has directly experienced the consequences of these incidents, particularly on its outlying islands , where network outages have impacted trade, financial services, emergency communications , and citizens’ daily lives .

Taiwan, a strategic hub in global communications

Lin recalled that Taiwan occupies a strategic position in the international telecommunications system: numerous submarine cables pass through or near the island, connecting the Indo-Pacific, North America and Europe .

This centrality brings not only economic benefits, but also a shared responsibility for protecting global networks . According to the minister, “stability in the Taiwan Strait is a global public good, and Taiwan is ready to actively contribute to its preservation.”

The four pillars of the international initiative

The International Initiative for Submarine Cable Risk Management aims to promote multilateral cooperation between States, businesses and institutions, through four main objectives :

1. Risk mitigation: Strengthen preventative maintenance, monitoring systems, and rapid response capabilities in the event of failures or threats.
2. Information sharing: Establish channels for information exchange and early warning to ensure effective and timely communication between stakeholders.
3. System reform: Promote shared international guidelines and compliance with existing conventions, such as the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea , updating them as necessary.
4. Capacity building: Organize training, workshops, and exchange programs to increase the technical and operational capacities of the countries involved.

Lin concluded by underlining that the initiative aims to create a global cooperation network , capable of strengthening the resilience of digital infrastructures and protecting a fundamental common good of the modern era: global connectivity .

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