Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) stressed at the 2025 Taiwan-Europe Submarine Cable Security Cooperation Forum that only through joint efforts can we safeguard these vital lifelines that connect nations, economies, and people.

The Formosa Club, a group of pro-Taiwan European parliamentarians, held its second annual meeting on Tuesday, jointly organizing the forum with the Foreign Ministry and the Research Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (DSET). Speaking at the event, Lin announced the launch of the RISK (Risk Mitigation, Information Sharing, Systemic Reform, and Knowledge Building) Management Initiative on International Undersea Cables. The initiative seeks to rally all global stakeholders involved in subsea cables to work together to strengthen resilience and security.

Lin underscored that undersea cables are not only the foundation of email, streaming, and financial transactions but also underpin global financial markets, supply chains, and critical energy systems. These networks, he said, form the backbone of globalization, enabling the movement of trade, data, communication, and international cooperation.

He detailed the four goals of the initiative: risk mitigation to prevent and reduce threats; information sharing for timely and actionable intelligence; systemic reform to establish internationally recognized standards; and knowledge building through training and exchange programs.

Lin added that both Europe and Taiwan face similar threats to undersea cables and urged all partners to join this inclusive initiative. Taiwan has also proposed a set of “Seven Cable Laws” to strengthen its legal framework for protecting critical infrastructure.