Coast Guard suspects that the Hongtai cargo ship with Chinese background damaged the submarine cable in Taiwan

Taiwan's Coast Guard issued a press release on February 25 saying that a freighter carrying citizens of mainland China suspected of damaging an undersea cable connecting Taiwan's main island to the Penghu Islands, NHK World reported.

Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration announced that a Togolese cargo ship, the (République togolaise), is suspected of damaging the undersea cable connecting Taiwan Island and the Penghu Islands in the southern waters of Taiwan from the 22nd to the 25th. The Coast Guard Administration is currently investigating the cargo ship. Upon receiving a report from Chunghwa Telecom about the rupture of the Taipeng No.3 undersea cable, the Coast Guard Administration dispatched ships to the scene and found a cargo ship anchoring there. The cargo ship was then guided to a port in southern Taiwan for further investigation.

The Coast Guard Administration emphasized that the cause of the damage to the undersea cable is still under further investigation to clarify whether it was intentionally damaged or simply an accidental occurrence. It also indicated that the suspected cargo ship is related to China, and all eight crew members on board are Chinese nationals, so it does not rule out the possibility of gray-zone, non-military disruptive actions taken by mainland China.

Last month, a freighter carrying mainland Chinese citizens was suspected of damaging an undersea cable in the northern waters of Taiwan, and is still under investigation. Regarding this incident, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated at the routine press conference on the 25th that they do not understand the situation and it is not a diplomatic issue.

The Third Submarine Cable of Taiwan and Penghu Broke and Taiwan was urgently put into use for backup

On February 25 at 3 o'clock, the Coast Guard received a report from Chunghwa Telecom stating that the Taiwan-Penghu third submarine cable broke 6 nautical miles northwest of Jiangjun fishing port, and the backup has been activated without affecting communication. When Chunghwa Telecom initially suspected sabotage, the Coast Guard dispatched boat 10079 to monitor the Togolese cargo ship 'Hongtai' in the area. Upon finding the ship anchored below, broadcast evacuation was immediately implemented, and monitoring and interception were carried out throughout. Due to significant freeboard and poor sea conditions, boarding inspection was not possible. The Qijin ship and PP-10059 boat were additionally dispatched for support, and the Hongtai cargo ship was escorted back to Anping Port in Tainan. The entire case is handled in accordance with national security procedures and is under the command of the Tainan District Prosecutor's Office for investigation.

The Maritime Patrol emphasizes that whether the submarine cable is intentionally damaged or simply accidental remains to be further investigated and clarified; The Togolese cargo ship 'Hongtai' suspected of being involved is found to be a 'temporary ship' with Chinese background, and all crew members on board are Chinese nationals. This cargo ship has also changed its name several times, and the possibility of 'gray zone intrusion operations' cannot be ruled out. The Maritime Patrol will cooperate with the prosecutor's investigation to clarify the truth, and currently, all crew members on the cargo ship are detained pending trial.

What is a gray zone operation

The 'grey zone operation' means non-traditional use of force, such as seemingly harmless gradual tactics to approach the Taiwan Strait, such as dispatching cargo ships, aircraft crossing the strait, or intentional and unintentional collisions to damage submarine cables. Due to the age of many submarine cables, they are easily damaged by collisions, becoming a difficult-to-define grey area in information warfare. The Black Bear Academy believes that Taiwan urgently needs satellite communication equipment, infrastructure, and related talent to defend against the risk of signal disruption after the submarine cables are damaged.

When the Russia-Ukraine war just started, Musk immediately offered Starlink to keep Ukraine's communication open. Although later Ukraine was asked to pay, Musk also promptly assisted Ukraine in maintaining external contact. Has Taiwan prepared contingency measures for communication disruption crisis?

This article, the Coast Guard Administration suspects that the Hongtai freighter with a suspected Chinese background damaged the submarine cable in Taiwan, first appeared on Chain News ABMedia.