Taiwan's prosecutor's office has for the first time charged a Chinese ship captain with intentionally damaging an undersea communications cable near the island. Reuters reported this, citing Taiwanese authorities, News.bg reports.
The incident occurs against the backdrop of heightened tensions between Taipei and Beijing and the increasing number of damage to undersea cables that have worried Taiwanese institutions.
According to the prosecutor's office, the accused is the captain of the Togo-registered ship Hong Tai 58, whose crew is entirely Chinese. Taiwanese authorities detained the ship after it was found to have dropped anchor near an underwater cable off the southwestern coast of Taiwan, causing serious damage.
The captain, identified only as Wang, has denied any wrongdoing but has refused to reveal information about the vessel's owner. Prosecutors said Wang had shown "bad behavior" during the investigation.
The seven other Chinese sailors detained with him will not be charged and will be deported back to China. According to Taiwanese authorities, this is the island's first criminal case related to damage to submarine communications cables.
Beijing has accused Taiwan of "manipulating the case" and making "groundless accusations" before all the facts are clear.
In 2025 Taiwan has recorded five cases of damaged undersea cables, a sharp increase from three incidents a year in 2023 and 2024.
In response, Taiwan’s coast guard has stepped up surveillance of key communications lines. It has also created a “blacklist” of nearly 100 ships linked to China but registered in other countries that are suspected of operating in the gray zone — pressure tactics without overt aggression.
In January, another China-linked ship was suspected of damaging a cable off Taiwan’s northern coast. In that case, the owner denied the charges.
Taipei authorities fear that the damage is not accidental but part of Beijing’s strategy of destabilization. In response, the navy and other agencies are stepping up measures to protect the island’s vital communications infrastructure.