Philippines exploring deeper cooperation with Taiwan to protect cables

By David Brunnstrom WASHINGTON, Oct 21 (Reuters) The Philippines is exploring deeper cooperation with Taiwan on protecting undersea cables and addressing gray-zone activity, despite Manila s one-China policy, which recognizes Beijing and not Taipei, a Philippine diplomat said on Wednesday. The ​Philippines and Taiwan have repeatedly complained about Chinese activities designed to pressure the ‌countries without direct confrontation. China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has overlapping claims with both Taiwan and the Philippines in the South China Sea. Felipe F. Carino III, Manila s deputy chief of mission in Washington, told a seminar this pragmatic and practical approach with Taiwan was necessary to protect mutual ‌interests in ​the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines. Speaking to ⁠Washington s Center for a New ⁠American Security, Carino linked cable security to South China Sea tensions, but did not mention China by name. He said security of undersea cables