Taiwan coastguard detains cargoship after another undersea cable break
Taiwan has intercepted the Togo-flagged Hongtai 58, a suspected ‘flag of convenience’ vessel with Chinese ownership, for allegedly damaging an undersea communications cable off its coast
Authorities are investigating whether the incident was accidental or part of China’s ‘grey zone’ tactics, as a similar cable break involving another China-owned vessel was reported last month
TAIWAN’S Coast Guard Administration has intercepted a foreign cargo vessel suspected of damaging an undersea communications cable linking Taiwan and its outlying islands.
The Togo-flagged ship’s hull displayed the name Hongtai168, though its Automatic Identification System indicated a different name, Hongtai58 (IMO: 8357069), according to a CGA statement.
Vessel-tracking data shows Hongtai58 is anchored at the port of Anping in Tainan. The vessel’s ownership is not clear.
The CGA said its initial findings revealed that the ship is a “flag of convenience” vessel with Chinese ownership.
The administration said it received a report around 0300 hrs local time on February 25 from Chunghwa Telecom stating that the Taiwan-Penghu No 3 undersea cable had been severed six nautical miles northwest of Jiangjun Fishing Harbour. Although backup capacity enabled continued connectivity, CGA was asked to investigate.
Patrol boats tracked the cargoship from 1910 hrs on February 22 until 0300 hrs on February 25 as it remained anchored above the undersea cable. Despite repeated radio warnings to vacate the area, Hongtai58 did not respond.
Once alerted of the cable break, CGA intercepted the vessel as it finally began moving northwest. Boarding was not possible due to high swells, so Hongtai58 was escorted to Anping.
CGA emphasised that the cause of the submarine cable damage — whether due to accidental impact or deliberate sabotage — remains under investigation.
Authorities have not ruled out the possibility the incident is part of China’s “grey zone” tactics, a form of hybrid warfare involving non-traditional military actions. The case has been handed over to the Tainan District Prosecutors’ Office for further investigation under national security protocols.
Last month, CGA also reported a similar undersea cable damage incident off Taiwan’s coast involving the Chinese-owned, Tanzania-flagged Xing Shun 39 (IMO: 8358427)
Lloyd’s List revealed the vessel, which Taiwanese authorities believed was responsible for the incident, had three distinct digital identities.
