S. 2222 — Critical Undersea Infrastructure Resilience Initiative Act

This section states congressional findings that undersea communication cables are critical infrastructure for Taiwan's communication, commerce, and national security; highlights suspected sabotage by China-linked vessels, including incidents severing cables near the Matsu Islands in 2023 and 2025 and at least 11 cases of damage around Taiwan since 2023; and calls for U.S. and allied action to enhance resilience against such gray zone tactics.

This section directs the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretaries of Defense and Homeland Security, the Commandant of the Coast Guard, and other relevant agency heads, to establish the Taiwan Undersea Cable Resilience Initiative not later than 360 days after enactment. The Initiative prioritizes protection and resilience of undersea cables near Taiwan against threats from the People's Republic of China through (1) development and deployment of advanced real-time monitoring and detection systems, including early warnings to Taiwan; (2) rapid response protocols for repairs and assistance to Taiwan's logistical capacity with U.S. allies; (3) enhanced maritime domain awareness, joint patrols, and surveillance by the Navy and Coast Guard with Taiwan and regional allies; (4) cooperative frameworks with allies for joint drills, intelligence-sharing, and surveillance; and (5) support for hardening critical cables via reinforcement, deeper burial, and resilient materials.

This section directs the President to (1) work with Taiwan and like-minded international partners to implement strategies countering the People's Republic of China's (PRC) use of undersea cable sabotage as part of its gray zone warfare, including by increasing diplomatic pressure on the PRC to adhere to international norms regarding the protection of undersea infrastructure; and (2) work with Taiwan to raise global awareness of risks posed by PRC interference in undersea cables, including through public diplomacy efforts, information sharing, and international forums that address gray zone tactics and the protection of critical infrastructure.

This section requires the President to impose sanctions under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA, 50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) on any person of the People's Republic of China (PRC)—defined to include PRC citizens or nationals and entities owned or controlled by, organized under the laws of, or subject to the jurisdiction of the PRC government—determined to be responsible for or complicit in damaging undersea cables critical to Taiwan's national security. The sanctions include (1) blocking all property and interests in property of such persons that are in the United States, come within the United States, or are or come within the possession or control of a U.S. person; and (2) rendering such persons inadmissible to the United States, ineligible for visas, admission, or parole under the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA, 8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.), and subject to immediate revocation of any current visas or entry documentation. Implementation is authorized under IEEPA sections 203 and 205 (50 U.S.C. 1702, 1704), with penalties mirroring those in IEEPA section 206 (50 U.S.C. 1705); exceptions apply to U.S. intelligence activities, international agreement obligations (e.g., UN Headquarters Agreement or Vienna Convention on Consular Relations), and importation of goods.

This section directs the President to submit semiannual reports to Congress, beginning not later than 180 days after enactment of this Act, detailing (1) any incidents of interference in undersea cables near Taiwan and (2) any actions taken in response to such incidents.