Taiwan’s Undersea Cable Network Hit by Alleged Chinese Ship, Raising Security Concerns

A cargo ship believed to be of Chinese origin has compromised Taiwan’s undersea cable network off its northern coast. Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan’s leading telecommunications provider, reported that their submarine cable monitoring system detected an anomaly at 7:51 AM on Friday. The company swiftly notified Taiwan’s Coast Guard Administration (CGA), triggering immediate emergency protocols.

The affected section of the undersea cable pertains to international transmission circuits, not domestic internet connectivity, allowing Taiwan to sidestep internal communications disruptions. Taiwan’s coast guard swiftly located the cargo vessel and directed it to return to the vicinity of Keelung Port for a thorough investigation.

Authorities are investigating whether the cargo ship damaged the undersea cable while anchoring off Keelung. Marco Ho Cheng-hui, CEO of the Taiwanese self-defense advocacy group Kuma Academy, anticipates the ongoing investigation to shed light on accountability. He also highlighted the potential role of China’s non-conventional tactics in this incident.

Taiwan’s heavy reliance on undersea cables for international data traffic means that any compromise to this infrastructure directly threatens national security. This incident follows a series of similar events last year when Chinese vessels were implicated in severing Taiwan’s undersea cables. Such occurrences raise alarm bells about potential information blockades through strategic communication disruptions targeting Taiwan.

This event is reminiscent of the recent incident in the Baltic Sea, where an undersea cable linking Sweden and Lithuania was unexpectedly severed. The presence of a Chinese vessel in the area aroused suspicion. These recurring incidents underscore the critical importance of safeguarding marine infrastructure in an increasingly contested maritime domain.