The Taiwanese coast guard detained a Chinese-crewed cargo ship on Tuesday, February 25, following the severance of a subsea telecommunications cable off the island. The Togolese-registered ship, Hongtai, was intercepted in the vicinity and escorted back to Taiwan for further investigation. Crew members, consisting of eight Chinese nationals and operating with Chinese funding, faced questioning from prosecutors as authorities sought to uncover the cause of the incident.
The disconnection involved a subsea telecom cable linking Penghu, a strategically significant island group within the sensitive Taiwan Strait, to Taiwan. Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan's leading telecommunications provider, reported the cable disconnection early Tuesday. In response, the Ministry of Digital Affairs instructed Chunghwa Telecom to reroute voice communications and internet services for Penghu through alternative undersea cables.
This incident marks another episode in a series of undersea cable breakages impacting Taiwan. Previous incidents have been attributed to natural causes or Chinese ships. In January, two ageing subsea cables serving Taiwan's Matsu archipelago ceased functioning, with officials citing "natural deterioration" as the cause.
The Taiwanese coast guard has identified 52 "suspicious" Chinese-owned vessels flying flags of convenience from countries such as Mongolia, Cameroon, Tanzania, Togo, and Sierra Leone for close monitoring. Concerns persist over China's intentions, as Taiwan fears that China might sever communication links as part of a broader strategy to seize or blockade the island.
"It cannot be ruled out that it was a grey zone intrusion by China," – the coast guard
China claims Taiwan as part of its territory and has expressed willingness to use force if necessary to bring it under its control. Taiwanese authorities are therefore wary of any disruptions that could impact communication infrastructure.
"The coast guard will cooperate with the prosecutors in the investigation and make every effort to clarify the truth." – the coast guard
The investigation into whether the undersea cable breakage was an act of intentional sabotage or merely an accident remains ongoing.
"Whether the cause of the undersea cable breakage was intentional sabotage or a simple accident remains to be clarified by further investigation," – the coast guard
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