Taiwan Suspects Chinese Ship Severed Undersea Cable Off Its Coast

A Taiwanese coast guard ship travels past the coast of China, in the waters off Nangan Island of Matsu archipelago in Taiwan on Aug. 16, 2022. Ann Wang /Reuters

Taiwan’s coast guard said on Jan. 5 that a Chinese vessel has allegedly severed an undersea cable located off the coast of the Taiwanese port Keelung Harbor.

The coast guard reported spotting the Shunxin-39, a Cameroon-registered vessel, seven nautical miles off the north coast of Taiwan’s Yehliu at 4:40 p.m. local time on Jan. 3, prompting it to dispatch a ship in response, according to local reports.

Although the coast guard could not verify that the ship belongs to China, Taiwanese officials believe that it was owned by a Hong Kong-registered company with ties to the mainland.

Taiwanese coast guard officials ordered the ship to return to waters near Keelung Harbor for investigation, but rough seas prevented them from boarding. The ship subsequently headed toward South Korea.

Chunghwa Telecom, the largest telecommunication service provider in Taiwan, said that it rerouted traffic via backup submarine cables and that the incident did not result in any disruptions, local media reported.

The coast guard stated that it has forwarded evidence to local prosecutors, who will determine the next steps.

In November 2024, two undersea fiber-optic cables were severed in the Baltic Sea, and the Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 is under investigation for the damage.

Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said on Dec. 22, 2024, that the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) had denied its prosecutors access to the vessel for investigation. The Chinese foreign ministry claimed that it had provided information and documents to the joint investigation.

Part of China’s Strategy

Ho Cheng-hui, CEO of civil defense group Kuma Academy, said the incident was part of China’s efforts to test the international community’s response level as it seeks to escalate its gray zone tactics against Taiwan.

Ho told reporters that China has targeted Taiwan’s infrastructure using maritime tactics in the past, prompting the self-ruling island to build its telecommunications resilience.

In recent years, the CCP has used a variety of gray zone tactics to put pressure on Taiwan, including holding large-scale military drills, dispatching fighter jets and warships to areas near the island nation, flying balloons directly over it, and enticing Taiwan’s allies to switch their diplomatic recognition to China.

The CCP views Taiwan as part of its territory and has never denied that it would use force to seize the island. CCP leader Xi Jinping said in his New Year’s speech that “no one can ever stop China’s reunification” with Taiwan.

Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te has pledged to increase the island’s defense spending and join forces with other democracies to confront threats posed by the CCP.

Frank Fang contributed to this report.