Taiwan tightens laws to protect critical undersea cables

Taiwan’s Legislative Yuan has passed amendments to four laws to strengthen protections for undersea cables and related infrastructure.

• Amendments to the Law of Ships, Meteorological Act, Telecommunications Management Act and Commercial Port Law require vessels in Taiwanese waters to maintain functioning AIS, accurately transmit IMO and MMSI identifiers, keep navigation logbooks (for non-Taiwanese vessels ≥150 GT), and introduce fines from NT$30,000 to NT$10 million and up to 6 months’ imprisonment plus confiscation of tools, vessels or machinery involved in damaging or endangering meteorological or undersea cable facilities.
• The Telecommunications Management Act now authorizes confiscation of equipment used to steal, damage or endanger undersea cable and satellite communications infrastructure, while the Commercial Port Law allows authorities to order obstructive vessels to leave within three months and to confiscate foreign merchant vessels for serious violations or unresolved discrepancies in registration or identification data within the same period.