Eye on mainland China as Taiwan passes stiffer penalties for undersea cable damage
Island’s legislature moves to deter rise in intentional sabotage, which now carries a prison sentence of up to seven years
The legal changes approved by Taiwan’s legislature on Tuesday come as the island accuses Beijing of sabotaging its submarine cables, describing such acts as “grey-zone” pressure tactics.
Mainland authorities have strongly denied any involvement, calling the incidents “common maritime accidents” and accusing Taipei of exaggerating the situation.
Under the newly amended laws covering telecommunications, electricity, gas, water, ports and navigation, intentional sabotage of undersea infrastructure now carries a prison sentence of one to seven years, plus a fine of up to NT$10 million (US$321,000).
Taiwan’s authorities also expanded their powers of confiscation: any vessel, tool or machinery used in such crimes, regardless of ownership, can be seized, auctioned, scrapped or repurposed for public use.
In addition, ships are required to keep their Automatic Identification System (AIS) turned on, and suspicious vessels can be detained or barred from port entry, according to the revised laws.