Taiwan's coast guard detained a cargo ship and its Chinese crew on Tuesday for investigation into a possible deliberate cutting of an undersea internet cable. The Togo-flagged vessel, crewed by eight Chinese nationals, was suspected of damaging the cable connecting Taiwan to the Penghu Islands. The ship had been lingering near the cable off Taiwan's southwestern coast and did not respond to coast guard broadcasts.
After the vessel dropped anchor, Taiwan's telecom company detected the cable disconnection. The coast guard intercepted and boarded the ship, escorting it to Tainan for further investigation. Authorities are considering the incident as a potential Chinese 'gray zone operation,' falling below the threshold of war.
While Taiwan investigates the incident, Beijing accused Taipei of politicizing the situation. China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson stated that undersea cable damage is a common maritime accident and criticized Taiwan's response as political manipulation.
This incident adds to previous concerns of undersea cable damage around Taiwan. In recent years, similar incidents involving Chinese-linked vessels have occurred, raising suspicions of deliberate acts. These incidents highlight the vulnerability of undersea infrastructure and its impact on global internet connectivity.
As tensions between Taiwan and China escalate, the issue of undersea cable security becomes increasingly critical. With the majority of global internet traffic relying on undersea cables, safeguarding this infrastructure is essential for maintaining international communication and trade.
