Following the severing of an underwater fiber-optic cable, Taiwan reportedly seized a cargo ship and its eight Chinese crew members in an increased effort to regulate similar occurrences, which are frequently perceived as a component of China’s pressure campaign against the self-governing island.
According to Taiwan’s coast guard, intentional sabotage has not been ruled out and the incident is being handled as a national security issue.
As Taiwan attempts to guarantee that it has safe internet services to keep the island online in the event of an invasion or blockade by China, a series of such incidents has drawn attention to the country’s vulnerability.
Concerns about the security of the vital infrastructure have gained international attention as a result of similar instances abroad, such as the severing of data cables beneath the Baltic Sea.
The cargo ship flying the flag of Togo was sighted in the vicinity on Saturday night, according to Taiwan’s coast guard. Around 2:30 a.m. on Tuesday, the coast guard ordered the ship to disengage after it dropped anchor.
Telecommunications company Chunghwa Telecom said in less than an hour that it appeared like outside forces had destroyed one of the underwater communications cables that connect Taiwan to its neighboring countries and to its outlying islands.
According to the Ministry of Digital Affairs, internet services were mainly unaffected.
The ship, known as the Hong Tai, was escorted to a port in Taiwan by the Coast Guard for examination.
Taiwan’s leadership and people have been under pressure from China for a long time to abandon their commitment to self-rule of the island, which Beijing claims is its own.
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