TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Three members of the US House of Representatives introduced a bill Thursday to allow joint Taiwan-US Coast Guard patrols to protect undersea cables against growing threats from China.

The Critical Undersea Infrastructure Resilience Initiative Act was a bipartisan initiative by New York Republican Mike Lawler, California Democrat Dave Min, and Arizona Democrat Greg Stanton. Similar legislation was introduced earlier in the Senate by Republican John Curtis and Democrat Jacky Rosen, who recently visited Taiwan.

Lawler said on his website the bill emphasized warnings against potential sabotage. The deployment of advanced monitoring systems could detect potential disruptions in real time, he said. In addition, a global network would share intelligence about threats.

The bipartisan bill also considered action after cables had been damaged, including rapid response protocols to react to disruptions, according to Lawler. Coordination with allies and international partners serves to strengthen regional resilience.

The proposal also features joint patrols and surveillance missions by the Taiwan and US Coast Guards in the Taiwan Strait. The launch of a Cross-Strait Contingency Planning Group will lead to exercises and to analyze the situation of global supply chains and key infrastructure.

The bill will also require the US government to pressure China into more respect for international norms. Min said the sabotage of undersea cables near Taiwan is not accidental, but designed to isolate a democratic partner.