A Chinese freighter that allegedly snapped an undersea cable linking Taiwan proper to Penghu County is suspected of being owned by a Chinese state-run company and had docked at the ports of Kaohsiung and Keelung for three months using different names.
On Tuesday last week, the Togo-flagged freighter Hong Tai 58 (宏泰58號) and its Chinese crew were detained after the Taipei-Penghu No. 3 submarine cable was severed.
When the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) first attempted to detain the ship on grounds of possible sabotage, its crew said the ship’s name was Hong Tai 168, although the Automatic Identification System (AIS) displayed it as Hong Tai 58, the CGA said.
Photo courtesy of the Coast Guard Administration
The ship’s name would be verified by an investigation, the CGA said.
A review of AIS records by the Chinese-language Liberty Times (Taipei Times’ sister paper) showed that the freighter Hong Tai in September had visited the harbors of Kaohsiung, Anping, Keelung and South Korea’s Busan.
The freighter apparently turned off its AIS some time after that.
In January, the freighter re-engaged its AIS and appeared in waters near the Port of Kaohsiung and the device stayed on until 11am on Thursday, when the CGA brought the ship to the Port of Anping.
The records showed the Hong Tai had two International Maritime Organization identification numbers, which breaches the agency’s rules.
Also, the freighter’s Maritime Mobile Service Identities (MMSI) identification number had been used by the Tanzania-flagged Hong Da 8 (宏大8號) and China-flagged Jin Long 389 (金龍389號).
The Jin Long 389’s transponder has remained silent for years and the Hong Da 8, which is active, has operated with three MMSI numbers.
The records suggested that Hong Tai 58, Hong Da 8 and Jin Long 389 were the same freighter.
Chinese state-run China COSCO Shipping Corp (中國遠洋海運集團) and Guangdong-based Jin Long Maritime Transport (金龍航運) owned and operated the Jin Long 389, the records showed.
The Hong Tai 58 was linked through its MMSI numbers to six vessels.
Five of the ships sailed between Taiwan, China and South Korea in the past three months, each using their AIS, but intermittently.
The Hong Da 8 had entered the Port of Anping as recently as Feb. 2.
Experts yesterday said the CGA should be applauded for its swift response, but each cable-cutting incident was a blow to national security and government finance.
Taiwan must come up with a strategy to prevent further attempts to sabotage submarine cables, they added.
The government should track ships that have engaged in suspicious activities, and it should cooperate with friendly nations in maritime matters, Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Puma Shen (沈伯洋) said.
Shared intelligence would enable the government to name the suspected ships and bring pressure on Beijing, he said.
Taiwan should strengthen its use of intelligence-gathering assets and coast guard patrol ships, and severely punish saboteurs to deter Chinese crews, Institute for National Defense and Security Research fellow Shen Ming-shih (沈明室) said.
The government should obtain more rotary and low-speed fixed-wing aircraft configured for maritime surveillance, and increase multi-agency collaboration efficiency, he said.
Additional reporting by CNA
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS