The Taiwanese Prosecutor's Office on Friday, April 11, for the first time, charged the captain of the Chinese vessel for deliberate damage to the underwater cables. This accusation was the result of an incident that occurred in February, when the Hong Tai 58 Chinese ship was registered in an anchor near the southwestern Taiwan coast, which caused damage to an important underwater cable.
This case caused anxiety among the Taiwanese authorities, especially against the background of exacerbation of tension in the relationship between Taiwan and China. Prosecutors claim that the captain of the ship, Van, intentionally damaged the cable, but he denies his guilt and refuses to inform who his ship owes. It is known that the captain has cooperated with the authorities reluctantly, and the case has now been initiated against him. The rest of the seven crew members are likely to be held accountable and returned to China.
This incident was the first case of trial for damage to submarine cables in Taiwan. The island country noted that in the current year there were already five cases of damage to marine cables, while in 2023 and 2024 there were only three of them. This forced Taiwan to strengthen the monitoring of his marine infrastructure, including tracking about 100 suspicious vessels related to China but registered in other countries.
This case also emphasizes the importance of protecting marine infrastructure, in particular underwater cables that are of strategic importance for Taiwan, given the dependence on international communications and economic ties. Damage to such cables can have serious consequences for the island's national security and economy.
