Chinese Vessels Linked to Damage of Taiwan's Undersea Cables

Severity: Medium (Score: 57.0)

Sources: Focustaiwan.Tw, Visiontimes

Summary

A Chinese national was sentenced to three years in prison for damaging the Taiwan-Penghu No. 3 submarine cable in February 2025. The incident involved the Togolese-flagged cargo ship Hong Tai 58, whose captain, Wang Yuliang, was found guilty of intentionally severing the cable while anchoring in a restricted zone. Concurrently, a Chinese-flagged work barge, Hai Hong Gong 66, is under investigation for suspected damage to the Taiwan-Matsu Subsea Cable No. 3 during a salvage operation on March 30, 2026. The Coast Guard Administration detained the vessel's captain and crew for questioning. Chunghwa Telecom reported a malfunction in the cable, but normal communications were not disrupted. The damage to the cables raises concerns about vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure and potential state-sponsored operations targeting Taiwan's telecommunications. The investigation into the Hai Hong Gong 66 is ongoing, with repair work expected to be completed by July 2026. Key Points: • A Chinese captain was sentenced for severing a key undersea cable in 2025. • Another Chinese vessel is under investigation for damaging a subsea cable in 2026. • Taiwan's critical telecommunications infrastructure is facing repeated threats from Chinese vessels.

Key Entities

• Chunghwa Telecom (company)
• China (country)
• Taiwan (country)
• Telecommunications (industry)