Prosecutors yesterday for the first time charged a Chinese ship captain with intentionally damaging undersea cables off Taiwan in February, after a rise in sea cable malfunctions alarmed officials amid tensions with China.
The man was the captain of the Chinese-crewed Hong Tai 58 (宏泰58號), registered in Togo, which authorities seized after suspecting the ship had dropped anchor near an undersea cable off southwestern Taiwan and damaged it, prosecutors said.
The captain, identified only by his family name, Wang (王), was charged with contravening the Telecommunications Management Act (電信管理法) for allegedly damaging the cable, the Tainan District Prosecutors’ Office said.
Photo: screen grab from Ocean Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling’s Facebook page
Authorities boarded the Hong Tai and detained its seven Chinese crew on Feb. 25 after the Coast Guard Administration (CGA) received a report from Chunghwa Telecom Co (中華電信) that its Taiwan-Penghu No. 3 submarine fiber optic cable had been severed.
The Hong Tai had been lingering in the area where the cable was since Feb. 22, the CGA said.
Prosecutors said that during that period, Wang ordered his men to drop anchor 5 nautical miles (9.26km) west of Tainan’s Beimen District (北門) and sail in a zigzag around the No. 3 cable in an apparent attempt at sabotage.
The boat’s electronic navigational chart clearly indicated the locations of various undersea cables in waters around Taiwan, including the No. 3 cable, prosecutors said.
That submarine cable, used for telephone and broadband communications, is in a government-designated zone where vessels are prohibited from anchoring, they added.
Wang has since been held incommunicado, while the crew members are being kept at a detention center and are awaiting deportation. They were not charged due to a lack of evidence.
Wang continued to deny any wrongdoing and refused to reveal the identity of the shipowner, who likely instructed him to carry out the act, prosecutors said, adding that it was Taiwan’s first prosecution over damaging sea cables.
Under Article 72 of the telecommunications law, people who are caught endangering the normal functioning of a submarine cable are subject to imprisonment of at least one year, but no more than seven years, and may also be fined up to NT$10 million (US$305,764).The case is expected to be heard by the Tainan District Court.
China’s Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Beijing has previously accused Taiwan of “manipulating” possible Chinese involvement in the case, saying it was casting aspersions before the facts were clear.
The cable damage came on top of China’s military activities around Taiwan, including war games, the latest of which Beijing held last week.
Taiwan has reported five cases of sea cable malfunctions this year, compared with three last year and the year prior, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said.
The CGA has in recent months stepped up efforts to protect sea cables, including monitoring a “blacklist” of close to 100 China-linked ships near Taiwan registered to a country other than that of its owner, officials familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Taiwan in January said it suspected a China-linked ship of damaging an undersea cable off its northern coast; the ship owner denied the accusations.
Taiwan has repeatedly complained about “gray zone” Chinese activities around the nation, designed to pressure it without direct confrontation, such as through balloon overflights and sand dredging.
Taipei was alarmed after another Chinese-linked ship was suspected of damaging a different cable this year, prompting the navy and other agencies to step up efforts to protect the undersea communication links, which are vital to the nation’s connection to the rest of the world.
Taipei has pointed to similarities between what it has experienced and damage to undersea cables in the Baltic Sea following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
NETWORK-MAPPING PROJECT: The database contains 170 detailed files of Taiwanese politicians and about 23 million records of household registration data in Taiwan China has developed a network-mapping project targeting political figures and parties in Taiwan to monitor public opinion during elections and to craft tailored influence campaigns aimed at dividing Taiwanese society, according to documents leaked by Chinese technology firm GoLaxy (中科天璣). The documents, collected by Taipei-based Doublethink Lab, showed a database was specifically created to gather detailed information on Taiwanese political figures, including their political affiliations, job histories, birthplaces, residences, education, religion and a brief biography about them. Several notable Taiwanese politicians are in the database, including President William Lai (賴清德), former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍),
KEY INDUSTRY: The vice premier discussed a plan to create a non-red drone supply chain by next year, which has been allocated a budget of more than NT$7.2 billion The government has budgeted NT$44.2 billion (US$1.38 billion) to cultivate Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) industry over the next five years, which would make the nation a major player in the industry’s democratic supply chain in the Asia-Pacific region, Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) said yesterday. Cho made the remarks during a visit to the facilities of Cub Elecparts Inc (為升電裝). Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Chen Su-yueh (陳素月) and Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Hsieh Yi-fong (謝依鳳) also participated in the trip. Cub Elecparts has transitioned from the automotive industry to the defense industry, which is the top priority among the nation’s
UPGRADED MISSILE: The Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology is reportedly to conduct a live-fire test of the Hsiung Feng III anti-ship missile on Thursday next week The US Army is planning to build new facilities to boost explosives production and strengthen its supply chain, a move aimed at addressing munitions shortages and supporting obligations to partners including Taiwan, Ukraine and Israel, Defense News reported. The army has issued a sources sought notice for a proposed Center of Excellence at the Blue Grass Army Depot in Kentucky, the report said. The facility would serve as a hub within the US industrial base for the production of key military explosives, including research department explosives (RDX) and high melting explosives (HMX), while also supporting research and development of next-generation materials. The proposed
SOUTH KOREA DISPUTE: If Seoul continues to ignore its request, Taiwan would change South Korea’s designation on its arrival cards, the foreign ministry said If South Korea does not reply appropriately to a request to correct Taiwan’s name on its e-Arrival card system before March 31, the government would take corresponding measures to change how South Korea is labeled on the online Taiwan Arrival Card system, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said yesterday. South Korea’s e-Arrival card system lists Taiwan as “China (Taiwan)” in the “point of departure” and “next destination” fields. Taipei has asked Seoul to change the wording. Since March 1, South Koreans who hold government-issued Alien Resident Certificates (ARC) have been identified as from “South Korea” rather than the “Republic of Korea,” the
RSS