{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://www.curtis.senate.gov/press-releases/curtis-rosen-introduce-bill-to-counter-chinese-sabotage-of-taiwans-undersea-cables", "CURTIS, ROSEN INTRODUCE BILL TO COUNTER CHINESE SABOTAGE OF TAIWAN\u2019S UNDERSEA CABLES", "2025-07-09", "2025", "2025-07", "Republican", "Senate", "UT", "John R. Curtis", "C001114", "www.curtis.senate.gov", "curtis", "https://www.curtis.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases", "scraper", "Bipartisan legislation aims to protect Taiwan\u2019s undersea communication cables against \u201cgray zone tactics\u201d used by China\n\nWashington, D.C. \u2013 U.S. Senators John Curtis (R-UT) and Jacky Rosen (D-NV), members of the Foreign Relations Committee, today introduced the Taiwan Undersea Cable Resilience Initiative Act, bipartisan legislation that would protect Taiwan\u2019s critical communications infrastructure and deter malicious \u201cgray zone\u201d activities by the People\u2019s Republic of China (PRC). The cables\u2014critical for global communication and commerce\u2014have been a primary target of the PRC for undercover sabotage to undermine Taiwan\u2019s security and sovereignty.\n\n\u201cWe can\u2019t stand idle as China ramps up its tactics to isolate Taiwan, including by sabotaging its vital undersea cables,\u201d said Senator Curtis. \u201cBy improving systems monitoring and helping increase cable resiliency, our bipartisan legislation sends a clear message: the United States stands with Taiwan and our allies in defending shared infrastructure, sovereignty, and freedom.\u201d\n\n\u201cThe Chinese Communist Party\u2019s ongoing efforts to target Taiwan\u2019s undersea cable infrastructure don\u2019t just threaten Taiwan\u2019s national security, but connectivity and communication around the world,\u201d said Senator Rosen. \u201cSenator Curtis and I are introducing this bipartisan legislation to bolster collaboration between our two nations in order to protect these underground cables and impose sanctions on any adversary that targets this critical infrastructure. I will continue to push back on China\u2019s growing aggression, and its attempts to undermine democracy.\u201d\n\nBackground:\n\nUndersea cables are the invisible backbone of modern communication, enabling everything from internet access, communication, and economic transactions to military coordination. For Taiwan\u2014a vital democratic partner for the U.S. in the Indo-Pacific\u2014these cables are an essential lifeline that China has been sabotaging using \u201cgray zone\u201d tactics. These activities fall below the threshold of traditional warfare, allowing authoritarian regimes to exert pressure and destabilize democracies while avoiding direct military confrontation.\n\nDisrupting undersea cables is a key part of China\u2019s military strategy to cripple Taiwan\u2019s communication in a conflict. In February 2023, two of Taiwan\u2019s undersea internet cables were severed near the Matsu Islands, causing widespread outages. The incidents were linked to vessels suspected of deliberate interference. In January 2025, Taiwan\u2019s Chunghwa Telecom reported damage to an international undersea cable near a \u201csuspicious vessel\u201d identified as the Chinese-linked cargo ship Shunxin39. Shortly afterward, Taiwan\u2019s Coast Guard seized another ship\u2014Hong Tai 58\u2014suspected of deliberate sabotage. Since 2023, there have been at least 11 reported cases of cable disruption around Taiwan.\n\nTo counter China\u2019s \u201cgray zone\u201d tactics and help safeguard Taiwan\u2019s national security, the Taiwan Undersea Cable Resilience Initiative Act mandates the establishment of an initiative, led by the Secretary of State and in coordination with other agencies, to prioritize the protection and resilience of undersea cables near Taiwan.\n\nSpecifically, the Taiwan Undersea Cable Resilience Initiative Act would:\n\nEstablish a comprehensive initiative led by the U.S. State Department, in partnership with the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, and Coast Guard to deploy real-time monitoring systems, develop rapid-response protocols, improve maritime surveillance, and enhance international cooperation to defend against sabotage.\n\nEncourage hardening of Taiwan\u2019s cable networks and call for public diplomacy to expose and counter Chinese \u201cgray zone\u201d operations.\n\nAuthorize targeted sanctions against individuals and entities responsible for damaging undersea cables linked to Taiwan\u2019s national security, while directing the Administration to report regularly to Congress on threats and response measures.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T18:48:13Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://www.curtis.senate.gov/press-releases/curtis-rosen-introduce-bill-to-counter-chinese-sabotage-of-taiwans-undersea-cables"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.7229760996997356, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}