Invisible Lifelines: Taiwan, Undersea Cables and the Geopolitics of Connectivity
In this episode of DC Insiders by TaiwanPlus, Host Wenchi Yu speaks with Erin Murphy of CSIS about how undersea fiber‑optic cables—carrying over 95 percent of global internet and data traffic—have become critical infrastructure at the center of economic growth, AI, cloud computing, and telehealth worldwide, including in Taiwan’s high-tech, export‑driven economy. Against the backdrop of rising U.S.-China competition, the conversation explores how Taiwan’s dense cable links and strategic location make it both a digital hub and a potential vulnerability, as subsea systems face threats ranging from espionage and sabotage to gray‑zone coercion. Murphy discusses recent incidents and emerging risks, then outlines what governments, companies, and international partners can do to harden infrastructure, improve redundancy, and build cooperative frameworks to secure these “invisible lifelines” that underpin modern life from the Indo‑Pacific to the Atlantic.
