Taiwan detains China-linked cargo ship after undersea cable disconnected

Hong Tai Electric Industrial

25/02/2025 07:30

By Yimou Lee
       TAIPEI, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Taiwan's coast guard said it
detained a China-linked cargo ship on Wednesday after a nearby
undersea cable to the Penghu Islands in the sensitive Taiwan
Strait was disconnected.
    Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has
repeatedly complained about "grey zone" Chinese activities
around the island, designed to pressure it without direct
confrontation, such as balloon overflights and sand dredging.
    Taipei was alarmed after a Chinese-linked ship was suspected
of damaging another cable earlier this year, prompting the navy
and other agencies to step up efforts to protect the undersea
communication links, which are vital to the island's connections
to the rest of the world.
    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.
    China's Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to
a request for comment. Reuters was not able to locate a contact
for the ship's owner.
    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, pointing
to the course of the boat, which had lingered in the waters just
southwest of Taiwan since Saturday and did not respond to
repeated calls by the coast guard. 
    Taiwan has reported five cases of sea cable malfunctions
this year, compared with three each in 2024 and 2023, according
to the digital ministry.
    In 2023, two undersea cables connecting the Matsu islands
were cut, disconnecting the internet. Taiwan authorities said
that two Chinese vessels caused the disruption, but that there
was no evidence Beijing deliberately tampered with the cables.

 (Reporting By Yimou Lee. Editing by Gerry Doyle)
 ((yimou.lee@thomsonreuters.com;))