Taiwan’s coastguard apprehended a Chinese-owned freighter on Tuesday, accusing it of severing a subsea communications cable off the island’s western coast. This marks the first significant confrontation following Taiwan’s recent crackdown on China’s “shadow fleet,” which has been implicated in several similar incidents.
The vessel, identified as the Hong Tai 168 but listed in shipping databases as Hong Tai 58, was flagged under Togo but is confirmed to be Chinese-owned. It had been loitering near a cable connecting Taiwan’s mainland to the Penghu archipelago before the cable was reported damaged. Despite attempts to communicate with the ship, it failed to comply with coastguard orders, prompting Taiwan to seize the vessel.
Taiwan’s concern stems from a series of mysterious subsea cable disruptions in recent months, allegedly linked to Chinese or Russian-owned ships, raising fears of Chinese “greyzone” operations that involve tactics short of war. Beijing’s military and maritime activities around Taiwan, including aerial and naval maneuvers, have intensified, fueling concerns that China might use commercial vessels to destabilize Taiwan.
In response, Taiwan has implemented measures to monitor and disrupt these vessels, including blacklisting certain Chinese-owned ships. The Hong Tai 168, now under investigation by Taiwanese prosecutors, appears to be one such vessel.
Chinese authorities have yet to comment on the incident, with foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stating that he was not familiar with the details. Taiwan, meanwhile, is steadfast in its efforts to secure its maritime borders and prevent further interference with critical infrastructure.
The Togolese-registered ship Hongtai heaves-to off Penghu islands, Taiwan, on Feb 25, 2025, after it was detained by the Taiwanese coast guard. Taiwan coast guard AFP pic Via FMT CC BY 4 0
