By David Brunnstrom
WASHINGTON, Oct 22 (Reuters) — The Philippines is looking to strengthen cooperation with Taiwan in safeguarding undersea cables and addressing "gray-zone" activities, despite Manila's one-China policy, which acknowledges Beijing but not Taipei, according to a Philippine diplomat on Wednesday.
Both the Philippines and Taiwan have voiced concerns over Chinese actions aimed at pressuring them without outright confrontation. China considers Taiwan part of its territory and has overlapping claims in the South China Sea with both Taiwan and the Philippines.
Felipe F. Carino III, Manila's deputy chief of mission in Washington, stated that this "pragmatic and practical approach" with Taiwan is essential to safeguard mutual interests in the Bashi Channel, which lies between Taiwan and the Philippines.
During a seminar at Washington's Center for a New American Security, Carino connected the security of undersea cables with the tensions in the South China Sea, though he did not specifically mention China.
He emphasized that the protection of undersea cables is crucial since they handle nearly all global data transmissions, with around 60-67% of cyber incidents occurring in the region.
"These are critical features that need to be protected, which is why we are exploring deeper cooperation with our friends in Taiwan," Carino remarked, adding that this effort is ongoing "despite our one-China policy."
He noted that the Philippines and Taiwan are looking into "practical and more pragmatic approaches in cooperation, including sharing knowledge and building capacity," and he expressed hope that this cooperation would help address "gray-zone issues" in the region.
China has warned the Philippines that it must "strictly adhere to the one-China principle with real actions" and conveyed a similar message to Taiwan, according to Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning on Thursday.
When asked if this cooperation might involve joint patrols or accountability for vessels that disrupt communications, Carino said he did not have specifics but added, "I'm sure this is a constantly evolving cooperation, and some of the things you mentioned may actually come to fruition."
Taiwan has increased its efforts to safeguard undersea communications, which are crucial for the island's connections to the global network, following several incidents involving cables and Chinese-affiliated vessels.
Recently, the Philippines' coast guard announced it had dispatched its largest vessel and an aircraft to challenge a Chinese research ship operating off the northern Batanes province, near important undersea cable routes.
At the same seminar, Andrea Yang, Taiwan's deputy representative in Washington, mentioned the imprisonment of a Chinese ship captain in Taiwan for damaging an undersea cable. She noted that Taiwan plans to allocate more resources for developing unmanned systems to enhance maritime surveillance.
Yang also pointed out that interference with undersea cables is a concern that should be addressed by the United Nations, which should look into mechanisms to curb "bad behavior."
(Reporting by David Brunnstrom; Additional reporting by Eduardo Baptista in Beijing)