Taiwan suspects Chinese vessel in undersea cable disruption
The damage to an undersea internet cable has heightened Taiwan's concerns about potential "gray area" operations by China. The Taiwanese Coast Guard suspects a Chinese vessel may have been involved in this incident.
Taiwanese telecommunications company Chunghwa Telecom reported damage to an international undersea internet cable, prompting it to reroute internet traffic to maintain connectivity on the island. According to CNN, the company also reported the incident to the Taiwanese Coast Guard, pointing to a "suspicious ship" near the damaged cable.
The Taiwanese Coast Guard suspects that the vessel Shunxin39, which is connected to China, might have been responsible for the cable damage.
Although there is no direct evidence of sabotage, radar indicated that the vessel was near the site of the incident. Taiwanese authorities are concerned that this could be part of China's "gray area" operations, which might aim to disrupt the island's communication with the rest of the world, as reported by CNN.
The Taiwanese authorities have contacted South Korea for further investigation assistance. This incident underscores Taiwan's growing concerns about potential threats from China, which is increasingly employing intimidating tactics against the island.
Taiwan is considering enhancing maritime surveillance and the protection of undersea cables to prevent similar incidents in the future.
