The coast guard of Taiwan was intercepted by a Chinese cargo ship, which cut the underwater cable near the west coast of the island. This became the first such incident after Taibee announced the strengthening of control over Chinese ships operating in the region.
The detained vessel was discovered during the patrol of the sea area near Taiwan. The border guards confirmed his affiliation with China and took into custody a crew, which consisted exclusively of China's citizens. The ship together with the team was taken to the port, and the local prosecutor's office was investigated.
Damage to submarine cables in this region has been recorded several times in recent months. Similar cases were also occurring in the Baltic Sea, which is concerned about possible deliberate actions by unknown participants.
According to the media, in November, a Chinese drying cargo passed over two important communication cables at about the same time they were damaged.
After this case, in January, Taiwan's authorities increased the control of China's vessels that come into his water. A "black list" of suspicious ships was now being created, which is now tracking more carefully.
Official Taipei views such incidents as a serious threat to national security, as underwater cables play a critical role in ensuring the island's connection with the rest of the world. Any damage can affect communication infrastructure, which is extremely important in the face of exacerbation of relationships between Taiwan and China.
