A deep-sea cable was reportedly severed near Taiwan’s coast, stoking tensions with China and prompting fears about possible sabotage.
The concerning incident apparently happened off Yehliu, New Taipei City, in the early hours of Friday morning.
Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan’s leading telecommunications provider, first reported the damage and sought assistance from the Coast Guard. Investigators discovered that four cores of an international submarine cable had been left mangled.
A Cameroon-registered cargo ship, the Shunxin 39, was identified as the likely culprit. Tracking data revealed the vessel had dragged its anchor near the rupture site.
Despite its foreign flag, Taiwanese officials claimed the ship is owned by Jie Yang Trading Limited, a Hong Kong-registered company with links to a mainland Chinese businessman, Guo Wenjie.
A Taiwanese national security official voiced grave concerns, explaining: “This is another case of a very worrying global trend of sabotage against subsea cables.
“The ships that are involved in these incidents are typically rundown vessels that have little above-the-board business. This one, too, is in very bad shape. It is similar to the ships that are part of Russia’s ‘shadow fleet.'”
The Shunxin 39 was ordered to return to waters near Keelung, where the Coast Guard inspected its exterior and briefly questioned its captain.
Rough seas prevented officials from boarding the ship, and international law restrictions required its release before it could be detained further.
Taiwanese authorities have now asked for help from South Korea to continue the investigation at the ship’s next port of call.
Chunghwa Telecom minimised disruptions by rerouting data via other submarine cables. The damaged infrastructure connects Taiwan with the US west coast and is jointly owned by an international consortium that includes AT&T, Japan’s NTT, Korea Telecom, and China Telecom.
Tensions have also been rising in the Baltic, where similar acts of suspected sabotage have occurred.
In late 2024, Swedish authorities began investigating the Yi Peng 3, a Chinese bulk carrier suspected of damaging two fibre-optic cables. The vessel had recently departed from Russia’s Ust-Luga port, and tracking data linked it to the incident.
At around the same time, Finnish officials accused a Russian “shadow fleet” vessel, the Eagle S, of dragging its anchor across the seabed, severing the Estlink 2 power cable and four other communication lines in the Gulf of Finland.
The Estlink 2 cable is a critical link for electricity between Finland and Estonia, and its damage was described as “a suspected deliberate act of vandalism.”
These incidents have striking similarities with the escalating situation in Taiwan, where Beijing’s actions are raising alarms globally.
Taiwan’s historical tension with China dates back to 1949, when the island became a self-governing democracy following the Chinese Civil War. Despite Taiwan functioning independently, Beijing has continued to assert its claim over the island.
In recent months, Chinese President Xi Jinping has reiterated his vow to “reunify” with Taiwan and has escalated military exercises in the Taiwan Strait.
A senior Coast Guard official in Taiwan added: “Since it was not possible for us to question the captain, we have asked the South Korean authorities to help with the investigation at the ship’s next port of destination.”