Taiwan has ordered the detention of a Chinese cargo ship captain for severing an undersea telecom cable near the island, according to a court statement on Thursday.
The Togolese-registered ship, Hongtai, was apprehended by the coast guard on Tuesday after it was found to have cut a subsea cable connecting Taiwan’s Penghu Island group in the strategically sensitive Taiwan Strait. The Hongtai, which flies a flag of convenience, was crewed by eight Chinese nationals and had Chinese funding, the coast guard reported.
The Tainan district court ruled that the captain, identified as Wang, was a flight risk and should be detained. The court emphasized that Wang’s actions caused a disruption in communications between the islands, affecting government and social functions. “The interruption of communications could result in public danger. The crime is not minor and has caused harm to social security,” the court stated.
Wang has denied any wrongdoing, while prosecutors announced on Wednesday that they had prohibited the other crew members from leaving Taiwan as they continue their investigation.
The Hongtai had been observed “lingering” approximately six nautical miles (11 kilometers) northwest of Jiangjun Fishing Port before being intercepted by the coast guard, following reports of the cable break. In response, Taiwan’s Digital Affairs Ministry directed Chunghwa Telecom to reroute voice and internet services for Penghu through alternative cables to prevent further disruptions.
This incident is the latest in a series of subsea cable breaks, some of which have been attributed to natural wear and others to actions involving Chinese ships. Taiwan is home to 14 international underwater cables and 10 domestic ones.
The coast guard noted that the Hongtai was one of 52 Chinese-owned ships flagged from countries including Mongolia, Cameroon, Tanzania, Togo, and Sierra Leone, which are under close surveillance.
Authorities will monitor these ships for unusual activity, such as anomalies in their automatic identification systems or false vessel names and will issue warnings or conduct boarding inspections if necessary.
