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Taiwan has officially announced charges against a Chinese ship captain accused of deliberately damaging a critical undersea cable off its southwestern coast.
Some shit you should know before you read: Throughout the world, there are miles of undersea cables that form the backbone of global communication, transmitting nearly 95% of international data, including internet traffic, financial transactions, and military communications. Recently, there has been an uptick in sabotage incidents involving these cables, raising security concerns. Notably, in the Baltic Sea, unexplained damage to cables and pipelines has heightened tensions, with countries like Finland, Denmark, and Estonia suspecting sabotage from Russia amid the war in Ukraine. Despite the accusations, Russia denies any involvement and instead blames Western countries.
What’s going on now: In an announcement, Taiwan confirmed charges against the Chinese captain of the cargo ship Hong Tai 58, accusing him of intentionally damaging a critical undersea communication cable in February. Prosecutors stated that the captain, identified only by his last name, Wang, was responsible for dropping anchor near a subsea cable off Taiwan’s southwestern coast, causing significant damage.
The Hong Tai 58, though registered under Togo’s flag, was crewed entirely by Chinese nationals and had been detained shortly after the incident by Taiwan’s coast guard. According to prosecutors, Captain Wang “refused to provide details about the ship’s ownership and had a bad attitude” during questioning. Seven other crew members were detained but ultimately released without charges and are set to be repatriated to China.
The damage occurred near a key undersea cable that supports Taiwan’s digital and telecommunications connectivity, which has become increasingly vulnerable amid rising geopolitical tensions in the region. Taiwan’s digital ministry reported that the island has already experienced five undersea cable failures this year, more than in each of the two previous years, raising alarm over what authorities believe could be a pattern of intentional disruption.
China has pushed back against the allegations. Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for China’s Taiwan Affairs Office, previously dismissed the accusations as politically motivated, stating the incident was a “common maritime accident” and warning Taiwan against “manipulating” the facts.
