China Linked to Taiwan Subsea Cable Damage

Taiwanese prosecutors have formally charged the captain of a Chinese-crewed cargo ship with intentionally damaging a subsea telecommunications cable, marking the first prosecution of its kind amid escalating concerns over critical infrastructure security. The February 2025 incident involved the Togo-flagged vessel Hong Tai 58, which allegedly severed a cable linking Taiwan to the Penghu Islands after dropping and dragging its anchor across the ocean floor in a restricted area.

Prosecutors in Tainan accused the captain, identified only by surname Wang, of deliberately targeting the cable with "the intention of destroying" critical communications infrastructure. According to authorities, Wang was "fully aware" of the cable's position from electronic charts and that anchoring was prohibited in the area. If convicted, Wang faces a prison sentence of one to seven years and a fine of approximately $300,000. The remaining seven Chinese crew members were not indicted and are being repatriated.

The video below captures the Taiwanese coast guard detaining the crew of the Hong Tai after the alleged cable sabotage.

This case emerges amid a troubling pattern of subsea cable disruptions globally. CNC previously reported in December 2024 on two European subsea cables damaged within 24 hours, linking Sweden to Lithuania and Finland to Germany. German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius suggested sabotage as the likely cause of those incidents. Taiwan alone has reported at least five similar incidents in 2025, with officials claiming vessels frequently change names and registrations to complicate enforcement efforts.

The vulnerability extends beyond regional concerns. Since 2023, at least 11 cases of undersea cable damage have occurred around Taiwan and another 11 in the Baltic Sea. As CNC previously noted, these cables serve as "the arteries of the global digital economy," carrying 97% of the world's internet traffic across more than 530 cables laid on ocean floors.

Taiwan's National Security Bureau emphasizes these disruptions align with China's broader hybrid tactics, including intense cyber campaigns that exceed 2.4 million attacks daily. As Maya Wang, associate China director at Human Rights Watch, noted, 

"Such gray zone tactics allow plausible deniability, enabling coercion without triggering direct conflict." 

The prosecution represents Taiwan's determination to protect critical infrastructure amid the emerging geopolitical battleground beneath the waves, while international bodies like the International Telecommunication Union work to establish advisory frameworks for submarine cable resilience.