TAIPEI, Taiwan (AP) Taiwanese authorities are currently investigating a Chinese-crewed vessel, the Togolese-flagged cargo ship Hongtai, which is suspected of being involved in the severing of an undersea communications cable. This incident adds to the escalating tensions between Taipei and Beijing.
According to a statement from Taiwan’s coast guard, the Hongtai was intercepted early Tuesday in waters between Taiwan’s main island and the outlying Penghu Islands. The coast guard was alerted by telecommunications provider Chunghwa Telecom about the severed undersea cable, located 6 nautical miles (11 kilometers) northwest of Jiangjun Fishing Harbor.
The Hongtai had been anchored in the same area since Saturday evening. In the intervening period from Saturday to early Tuesday, authorities from Anping Port in Tainan sent signals to the ship on seven different occasions but received no response. After receiving the report from Chunghwa Telecom regarding the cable damage, the coast guard approached the Hongtai as it began moving northwest and escorted it to Anping Port.
The entire eight-person crew of the Hongtai consists of Chinese nationals. Taiwanese authorities indicated that the case is being addressed according to national security protocols. They stated, “The cause of the underwater cable break, whether it was due to intentional sabotage or simply an accident, is still pending further investigation for clarification.” The coast guard also mentioned that “the possibility of this being part of a gray-zone incursion by China cannot be ruled out.”
Fortunately, communications on the Penghu Islands were not affected, as Chunghwa Telecom was able to activate a backup cable. This incident is the latest in a series of similar occurrences in recent years, where undersea cables serving Taiwan have suffered damage, with Taipei sometimes attributing blame to China. Earlier in 2023, a Chinese cargo ship was suspected of damaging a cable northeast of the island.
A particularly notable incident occurred in February 2023, when two undersea cables serving Taiwan's Matsu Islands were severed, resulting in communications disruptions that lasted for weeks. Taipei remains vigilant and concerned that China might engage in damaging Taiwan’s underwater communications infrastructure as part of broader strategies to blockade or seize the island, which Beijing claims as its territory.
In response to inquiries about the incident, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry during a regular press briefing on Tuesday stated that he was unaware of the issue and suggested that it did not pertain to diplomatic matters.
