The Philippines is exploring closer cooperation with Taiwan to protect undersea cables and address so-called “gray-zone” activities, despite Manila’s policy of recognising Beijing rather than Taipei, a Philippine diplomat said on Wednesday.
Felipe F. Carino III, the Philippines’ deputy chief of mission in Washington, said the two sides were pursuing a “pragmatic and practical approach” to protect their shared interests around the Bashi Channel, which separates Taiwan from the northern Philippines.
Speaking at a seminar hosted by Washington’s Center for a New American Security, Carino linked the security of undersea cables to wider tensions in the South China Sea, although he did not explicitly name China.
He stressed that undersea cables were critical to global communications, carrying nearly all intercontinental data flows. He also said between 60% and 67% of cyber incidents occurred in the 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 efforts were continuing despite the Philippines’ one-China policy.
He said cooperation could include knowledge-sharing and capacity-building initiatives aimed at addressing regional “gray-zone” activities, which generally involve pressure or coercion below the threshold of open military conflict.
Asked whether the partnership could extend to joint patrols or holding vessels accountable for disrupting communications, Carino said he did not have specific details but suggested some proposals could eventually be implemented.
The Philippines and Taiwan have both raised concerns about Chinese activities that they say exert pressure without triggering direct confrontation. Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has overlapping claims with both Taiwan and the Philippines in the South China Sea.
Taiwan has stepped up efforts to protect its undersea communications links following several incidents involving damaged cables and vessels linked to China.
Earlier this month, the Philippine Coast Guard deployed its largest vessel and an aircraft to challenge a Chinese research ship operating off northern Batanes province, near undersea cable routes.
At the same seminar, Taiwan’s deputy representative in Washington, Andrea Yang, highlighted the case of a Chinese ship captain jailed in Taiwan over damage to an undersea cable.
Yang said Taiwan would allocate more resources to developing unmanned systems to strengthen maritime surveillance.
She also called for the issue of interference with undersea cables to be addressed at the United Nations, suggesting that the international body consider mechanisms to prevent such conduct.
