15/10/2026
本處江雅綺公使應邀參加大西洋智庫研究員Elisabeth Braw（伊莉莎白・布勞）為10月甫出版的新書《海底戰爭》（The Undersea War）舉辦的座談會，這本書指出海底的水下關鍵基礎設施與各項隱藏資源，於當前地緣政治競爭中日益重要，各國圍繞海底的戰略競爭，已經悄悄開打。敵對國家無須發動傳統軍事衝突，便可能透過破壞海底設施，干擾國際通訊、能源供應及全球經濟活動。
伊莉莎白說，她在寫作本書的過程中，高度依賴網路傳輸，而網路之所以能夠順利運作，則仰賴如海底電纜等關鍵基礎設施。現今全球約95%至99%的跨國網際網路數據傳輸仰賴海底光纖電纜，包括國際金融交易、數位通訊及全球商業活動。此外，能源管線亦依賴海底電力電纜、對能源安全至關重要。然而，這些海底電纜容易受到意外事故、人為破壞及地緣政治脅迫的影響。
💡 伊莉莎白在本書中細數了2021年挪威的電纜消失事件、2022年北溪管線爆炸事件、2023年台灣馬祖海纜損壞事件、2024年北歐「伊鵬三號」（Yi Peng 3）事件……橫跨波羅的海與太平洋兩端的頻繁事故，已經突顯了海底設施的風險。透過訪談相關國家的海軍人員、工程師、官員及海底電纜產業人員，伊莉莎白認為，現今各國已經逐漸認識海底安全的威脅。她尤其感謝我國安會副祕書長李問、海巡署艦隊分署分署長 黃宣凱提供的寶貴意見，認為台灣由於自身經驗，我國海巡署與國安單位對海底設施與資源的戰略意義掌握更為充分，也可做為世界其他國家的參考。並特別要江公使代為轉贈新書。
伊莉莎白強調，破壞海底電纜，屬於混合戰爭（hybrid warfare）與灰色地帶作戰（grey-zone warfare）。她認為，各國必須重新檢視海底基礎設施在國家安全戰略中的重要地位。 政府應加強海域監控、深化與民間基礎設施業者的合作、提升受損設施的修復能力，並建立更具備備援與韌性的通訊及能源網路。更重要的是，國際社會必須共南司強化海洋治理規範。江公使則表示，台灣已通過修正海纜七法、強化海域執法、推動建設備援網路，而外交部亦於「2025台歐海底電纜安全合作論壇」中正式提出「國際海底電纜風險管理倡議」(RISK Management Initiative on International Undersea Cables），強調國際社會互助合作，台灣的努力，可謂完全落實國際專家的主張。
Deputy Representative Ya-chi Chiang was delighted to attend the seminar focusing on Atlantic Council fellow Elisabeth Braw's new book, The Undersea War, which was published just this October. Braw’s book points out that critical underwater infrastructure and various hidden resources on the seabed are becoming increasingly important in current geopolitical competition, and strategic competition among countries over the seabed has quietly begun. Hostile nations do not need to launch traditional military conflicts; they can disrupt international communications, energy supplies, and global economic activities simply by sabotaging undersea facilities.
Elisabeth mentioned that during the writing of this book, she relied heavily on internet data transmission, and the smooth operation of the internet depends on critical infrastructure like submarine cables. Today, about 95% to 99% of global transnational internet data transmission relies on submarine fiber-optic cables, covering international financial transactions, digital communications, and global commercial activities. Furthermore, energy pipelines and submarine power cables are crucial to energy security. However, these submarine cables are vulnerable to accidents, deliberate sabotage, and geopolitical coercion.
In the book, Elisabeth recounts the disappearance of cables in Norway in 2021, the Nord Stream pipeline explosion in 2022, the damage to Taiwan's Matsu submarine cables in 2023, and the Nordic "Yi Peng 3" incident in 2024. These frequent incidents spanning the Baltic Sea and the Pacific Ocean have highlighted the risks facing undersea infrastructure. Through interviews with naval personnel, engineers, officials, and submarine cable industry professionals from relevant countries, Elisabeth observes that nations today have gradually recognized the threats to undersea security. She particularly thanked Lii Wen, Deputy Secretary-General of Taiwan's National Security Council, and Huang Hsuan-kai, Director-General of the Fleet Branch of the Coast Guard Administration, for their valuable insights. She believes that due to Taiwan's own experiences, its Coast Guard and national security agencies have a more comprehensive grasp of the strategic significance of undersea facilities and resources, which can serve as a reference for the rest of the world. She also specifically asked Minister Chiang to present a copy of her new book on her behalf.
Elisabeth emphasized that sabotaging submarine cables constitutes hybrid warfare and grey-zone warfare. She argues that all countries must re-examine the vital role of undersea infrastructure in their national security strategies. Governments should enhance maritime surveillance, deepen cooperation with private infrastructure operators, improve the capacity to repair damaged facilities, and build communication and energy networks with greater redundancy and resilience. More importantly, the international community must jointly strengthen maritime governance norms.
Deputy Representative Chiang stated that Taiwan has already passed amendments to the seven laws governing submarine cables, strengthened maritime law enforcement, and promoted the construction of backup networks. Furthermore, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially proposed the "RISK Management Initiative on International Undersea Cables" at the "2025 Taiwan-Europe Submarine Cable Security Cooperation Forum," emphasizing mutual assistance and cooperation within the international community. Taiwan's efforts can be said to fully actualize the recommendations made by international experts.
