Taiwan Undersea Cable Resilience Initiative

(a) Establishment Not later than 360 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the Commandant of the Coast Guard, and such other heads of agencies as the Secretary of State considers relevant, shall establish an initiative to be known as the Taiwan Undersea Cable Resilience Initiative (in this section referred to as the Initiative). (b) Priority The Initiative shall prioritize the protection and resilience of undersea cables near Taiwan, with a focus on countering threats from the People's Republic of China to the critical infrastructure of Taiwan. (c) Key focus areas (1) Advanced monitoring and detection capabilities In carrying out the Initiative, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Defense, shall develop and deploy advanced undersea cable monitoring systems for Taiwan capable of detecting disruptions or potential sabotage in real-time, including by informing Taiwan, as appropriate, of early warnings from global intelligence networks. (2) Rapid response protocols In carrying out the Initiative, the Secretary of State shall— (A) establish rapid response protocols for repairing severed undersea cables or mitigating disruptions; and (B) work with allies of the United States to help Taiwan develop the logistical capacity to respond quickly to attacks on undersea cables and minimize downtime. (3) Enhancing maritime domain awareness In carrying out the Initiative— (A) the Secretary of the Navy and the Commandant of the Coast Guard, in collaboration with the Coast Guard of Taiwan and regional allies, shall enhance maritime domain awareness around Taiwan, focusing on the detection of suspicious vessels or activities near critical undersea cable routes; and (B) the Commandant of the Coast Guard shall assist in joint patrols and surveillance, particularly in the Taiwan Strait and surrounding maritime zones, to monitor potential threats and prevent sabotage. (4) International frameworks for protection (A) In general In carrying out the Initiative, the Secretary of State shall seek to establish cooperative frameworks with regional allies and global partners to protect the undersea cable networks near Taiwan. (B) Elements The frameworks established under subparagraph (A) shall provide for participation by the United States in joint drills, intelligence-sharing platforms, and collaborative surveillance operations to enhance collective security against sabotage. (5) Taiwan-specific cable hardening In carrying out the Initiative, the Secretary of State shall encourage and support the hardening of critical undersea cables near Taiwan, including reinforcing cables, improving burial depths, and using more resilient materials to reduce vulnerability to natural disasters and deliberate interference.