Manila is exploring joint work with Taiwan to secure undersea cables carrying nearly all intercontinental data, Philippine Deputy Chief of Mission Felipe F. Carino III said at an Oct. 21 Washington seminar, Reuters reported.
Carino described cooperation as a way to protect mutual interests in the Bashi Channel, the waterway between Taiwan and the Philippines. Possible work includes exchanging expertise and strengthening capabilities. Manila is pursuing the discussions under its one-China policy, which recognizes Beijing rather than Taipei.
Carino said 60% to 67% of cyber incidents occur in the region. He linked cable security with tensions in the South China Sea but did not name China. Manila and Taipei have repeatedly objected to Chinese activity they regard as pressure applied without direct confrontation, a pattern associated with so-called gray-zone challenges.
Beijing claims Taiwan and has overlapping claims in the South China Sea with both Taiwan and the Philippines. Taiwan Deputy Representative in Washington Andrea Yang said Taipei plans to devote more resources to unmanned systems for maritime surveillance. Yang also urged the United Nations to consider ways to deter interference with undersea cables and cited Taiwan’s imprisonment of a Chinese ship captain over cable damage.
The Philippine Coast Guard said it dispatched its largest vessel and an aircraft in October to challenge a Chinese research ship operating near undersea cable corridors off northern Batanes.
Carino said he had no details on whether discussions might lead to joint patrols or a way to hold ships responsible for cable disruptions. He said the talks were still evolving and suggested some proposals raised could eventually move forward.
The discussions come amid wider calls for regional security planning. In a December 2025 essay, De Castro, a distinguished professor at De La Salle University, argued that the absence of a Philippine-Taiwan security partnership left a coordination gap. He has also urged defense coordination among Taiwan, Japan and the Philippines.
