Taiwan-US-Portugal Submarine Cable Security Symposium: Huang Sheng-hsiung Warns of Sino-Russian Civil-Military Fusion Strategy
At a submarine cable security symposium in Portugal, TWNIC Chairman Huang Sheng-hsiung warned about the threat of Sino-Russian civil-military fusion strategies. The US Ambassador emphasized excluding untrusted vendors to prevent sabotage.
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- 📰 Published: April 16, 2026 at 18:07
- 🔍 Collected: April 16, 2026 at 18:31 (23 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 19, 2026 at 02:55 (56h 23m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(CNA Reporter Tseng I-hsuan, Paris, 16th) At a submarine cable security symposium in Portugal, Huang Sheng-hsiung, Chairman of the Taiwan Network Information Center (TWNIC), warned attendees to be wary of the civil-military fusion strategies of China and Russia regarding underwater capabilities. US Ambassador to Portugal John J. Arrigo stated that untrusted vendors must be excluded from the supply chain to prevent malicious surveillance and sabotage.
The Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD) and the US Embassy in Portugal hosted a symposium titled "Deep Sea Connections: Trade, Competition, Security, and Cooperation in Submarine Cables" in Lisbon on the 13th. Speakers included Huang Sheng-hsiung, Olivia Negus, Telecommunications Policy Director at the Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC), and Rear Admiral Nuno António de Noronha Bragança, Coordinator of the Atlantic Center.
Chang Ya-kuang, Taiwan's Representative to Portugal, was invited to attend. In his opening remarks, Ambassador Arrigo specially thanked her for the partnership with the representative office.
Arrigo stated that as an ambassador, his top priority in Portugal is protecting American citizens, followed by strengthening defense cooperation, balancing trade, and countering malicious influence from China and elsewhere. The discussion on submarine cable issues perfectly encompasses these directions.
He pointed out that submarine cables carry 95% of global data traffic; sending emails, swiping credit cards, and browsing social platforms all rely on them. Portugal's geographical location is particularly crucial because 75% of transatlantic cables pass through its waters, and about 1/4 of global cables interconnect via Portugal, making the country key to the European and even global digital economy.
Therefore, he argued, this digital economy supply chain must exclude untrusted vendors to prevent malicious actors from monitoring communications, stealing intellectual property, and sabotaging data transmission.
Huang Sheng-hsiung shared Taiwan's experience as an Asia-Pacific digital hub living under long-term gray-zone threats, emphasizing the importance of controlling data. "With data comes evidence, which leads to accountability," he said.
He noted that a cable failure means losing not just internet communication but also command and control over military systems. Satellites can only ensure limited traffic, requiring strict prioritization for effective use. Furthermore, international cooperation frameworks and regional repair alliances must be considered, as the underwater environment is vast and complex, and no single country can guarantee its security alone.
Huang pointed out that China and Russia possess underwater infrastructure, data, technology, and operational capabilities that can easily be converted for strategic uses. "We must be careful of this civil-military fusion strategy, as it can not only destroy infrastructure but also compromise national security."
He mentioned that Taiwan is exploring diverse communication methods, such as using drones equipped with 5G repeaters. A similar application currently exists where helicopters deploy equipment to provide signal coverage in specific areas during emergencies like earthquakes.
Negus stated that the industry wants to work with policymakers to promote cable security and resilience, helping to achieve national and economic security goals. The best way to support these goals is to lay more cables. "Increasing cable redundancy reduces the risk caused by any single cable disruption," she said. "Redundancy" means adding alternative paths to increase reliability.
She recommended establishing a stable regulatory licensing system. Additionally, many cable incidents are accidents involving anchors or fishing boats. Measures such as setting anchoring regulations, training fishing crews, requiring tracking systems, and implementing strong enforcement mechanisms are needed to reduce these accidents. Only then "can we shrink the gray zone that malicious actors can exploit."
Bragança mentioned that scientific research vessels must obtain permission to pass through Portugal's territorial waters and notify authorities when crossing its EEZ, but some fail to do so. Therefore, it is necessary to continuously enhance maritime domain awareness and speed up decision-making processes. (Editor: Chen Cheng-kung) 1150416
(CNA Reporter Tseng I-hsuan, Paris, 16th) At a submarine cable security symposium in Portugal, Huang Sheng-hsiung, Chairman of the Taiwan Network Information Center (TWNIC), warned attendees to be wary of the civil-military fusion strategies of China and Russia regarding underwater capabilities. US Ambassador to Portugal John J. Arrigo stated that untrusted vendors must be excluded from the supply chain to prevent malicious surveillance and sabotage.
The Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD) and the US Embassy in Portugal hosted a symposium titled "Deep Sea Connections: Trade, Competition, Security, and Cooperation in Submarine Cables" in Lisbon on the 13th. Speakers included Huang Sheng-hsiung, Olivia Negus, Telecommunications Policy Director at the Information Technology Industry Council (ITIC), and Rear Admiral Nuno António de Noronha Bragança, Coordinator of the Atlantic Center.
Chang Ya-kuang, Taiwan's Representative to Portugal, was invited to attend. In his opening remarks, Ambassador Arrigo specially thanked her for the partnership with the representative office.
Arrigo stated that as an ambassador, his top priority in Portugal is protecting American citizens, followed by strengthening defense cooperation, balancing trade, and countering malicious influence from China and elsewhere. The discussion on submarine cable issues perfectly encompasses these directions.
He pointed out that submarine cables carry 95% of global data traffic; sending emails, swiping credit cards, and browsing social platforms all rely on them. Portugal's geographical location is particularly crucial because 75% of transatlantic cables pass through its waters, and about 1/4 of global cables interconnect via Portugal, making the country key to the European and even global digital economy.
Therefore, he argued, this digital economy supply chain must exclude untrusted vendors to prevent malicious actors from monitoring communications, stealing intellectual property, and sabotaging data transmission.
Huang Sheng-hsiung shared Taiwan's experience as an Asia-Pacific digital hub living under long-term gray-zone threats, emphasizing the importance of controlling data. "With data comes evidence, which leads to accountability," he said.
He noted that a cable failure means losing not just internet communication but also command and control over military systems. Satellites can only ensure limited traffic, requiring strict prioritization for effective use. Furthermore, international cooperation frameworks and regional repair alliances must be considered, as the underwater environment is vast and complex, and no single country can guarantee its security alone.
Huang pointed out that China and Russia possess underwater infrastructure, data, technology, and operational capabilities that can easily be converted for strategic uses. "We must be careful of this civil-military fusion strategy, as it can not only destroy infrastructure but also compromise national security."
He mentioned that Taiwan is exploring diverse communication methods, such as using drones equipped with 5G repeaters. A similar application currently exists where helicopters deploy equipment to provide signal coverage in specific areas during emergencies like earthquakes.
Negus stated that the industry wants to work with policymakers to promote cable security and resilience, helping to achieve national and economic security goals. The best way to support these goals is to lay more cables. "Increasing cable redundancy reduces the risk caused by any single cable disruption," she said. "Redundancy" means adding alternative paths to increase reliability.
She recommended establishing a stable regulatory licensing system. Additionally, many cable incidents are accidents involving anchors or fishing boats. Measures such as setting anchoring regulations, training fishing crews, requiring tracking systems, and implementing strong enforcement mechanisms are needed to reduce these accidents. Only then "can we shrink the gray zone that malicious actors can exploit."
Bragança mentioned that scientific research vessels must obtain permission to pass through Portugal's territorial waters and notify authorities when crossing its EEZ, but some fail to do so. Therefore, it is necessary to continuously enhance maritime domain awareness and speed up decision-making processes. (Editor: Chen Cheng-kung) 1150416