Taiwan has moved to deter what it sees as an alarming rise in deliberate damage to its undersea cables, revising its laws to impose stiffer prison sentences of up to seven years.
The legal changes approved on Tuesday by Taiwan’s legislature came 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$320,000).
Taiwan’s authorities also expanded their confiscation powers: 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.