An undersea cable off the north-east coast of Taiwan has been damaged, with authorities blaming a Cameroonian-registered cargo ship, the Shunxin-39, as the likely culprit in the latest maritime incident.
The Taiwanese Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said it dispatched a patrol boat after receiving a report from Chunghwa Telecom at 12:40pm on January 3.
The cable, located near Yehliu, New Taipei City, had four damaged cores.
Despite the disruption, Chunghwa Telecom confirmed domestic communications were unaffected thanks to backup systems.
At about 4:40pm, the CGA located the Shunxin-39 seven nautical miles north of Yehliu and ordered the vessel to return to waters outside Keelung Port for investigation.
Officials conducted evidence collection but were unable to board the vessel due to adverse weather conditions.
China has not publicly commented on the allegations.
China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
'Not an isolated event'
While the Shunxin-39 is registered in Cameroon, Taiwanese officials suspect it is owned by a Hong Kong-based entity with ties to mainland China.
Ho Cheng-hui, chief executive of Taiwanese non-profit civil defence organisation Kuma Academy, said the incident was part of a broader strategy by China to test the limits of international tolerance through "grey zone" tactics, according to the Taipei Times.
"This is not an isolated event," Mr Ho said.
"China has a history of targeting Taiwan's infrastructure to probe international responses," he said.
The CGA has referred the case to the District Prosecutor's Office, which will determine criminal liability and pursue compensation for the damage.
Global pattern of undersea sabotage
The incident in Taiwan echoes a spate of similar disruptions to undersea infrastructure worldwide, particularly in the Baltic Sea, where critical cables and pipelines have been damaged.
In November 2024 two fibre-optic cables in the Baltic Sea were severed, with investigations centring on the Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3.
A month later, in December, Finland launched a sabotage investigation after the Estlink 2 power cable and four telecom lines were damaged.
Finnish authorities suspect the Eagle S, a tanker linked to Russia's "shadow fleet", damaged the cables by dragging its anchor along the sea floor. A Finnish court recently denied the ship's release.
Several police investigations are underway but no suspects have been brought to trial.
These incidents have heightened concerns over maritime security, with NATO pledging to bolster its presence in the Baltic region.
Taiwan's countermeasures
Meanwhile, in response to its maritime threats, Taiwan is ramping up efforts to secure its communications infrastructure.
Plans include deploying low- and medium-Earth orbit satellites to reduce reliance on vulnerable undersea cables.
The CGA stressed its commitment to protecting Taiwan's critical infrastructure.
"We will work tirelessly to ensure accountability and bolster defences against future threats," CGA said in a statement.
ABC/Reuters
