Chinese vessel damaged cable off coast of Taiwan again - Reuters
Photo: Chinese vessel damaged communication cables in the Taiwan Strait (Getty Images)
On Tuesday, February 25, Taiwan's Coast Guard detained a cargo vessel belonging to China. This was prompted by the disappearance of a signal in an underwater cable leading to the Penghu Islands in the Taiwan Strait, according to Reuters.
The coast guard said it dispatched three vessels to detain the Chinese-crewed Hong Tai 58, registered in Togo, which dropped anchor near the sea cable off the southwestern coast of Taiwan around the time it was disconnected.
The vessel is a Chinese-linked ship carrying a flag of convenience, the Coast Guard said, meaning it is registered to a country other than that of its owner.
"All eight crew members are Chinese nationals and (we) do not rule out the possibility of the Chinese activity of grey-zone harassment," the Coast Guard said in a statement, adding that further investigation is needed.
Communications between Taiwan and other offshore islands, including Penghu, were not affected after services were redirected to other cables, the digital ministry said.
A senior Taiwan security official, speaking anonymously because of the sensitivity of the issue, told Reuters the government is handling the case as a national security matter.
"It's beyond the normal range," the official said.
Hong Tai 58, which had lingered in the waters just southwest of Taiwan since Saturday and did not respond to repeated calls by the coast guard.
China-Taiwan rivalry
China considers Taiwan to be its territory and does not rule out the use of force to seize the island. However, the pro-Western government in Taipei emphasizes that only the Taiwanese people have the right to decide their future.
The Taiwanese government has repeatedly complained about China's activity in the gray zone around the island, using methods of pressure without confrontation, such as air balloon overflights and dredging operations.
Taiwan has reported five cases of sea cable malfunctions this year, compared with three each in 2024 and 2023, according to the digital ministry.
On January 3, the Shunxing39 ship, registered under the flag of Cameroon, likely damaged an underwater cable near the Keelung port, which is part of the Trans-Pacific Express cable system. Authorities in Taipei fear that Beijing is attempting to sever the country's external communication links and quickly seize the island.
On January 8, China's Taiwan Affairs Office stated that the cables were damaged in a usual manner, and Taiwan's accusations were deemed baseless.
Following the incident, Taiwan's military began guarding all underwater communication cables around the island against suspicious ship activity.
