That the submarine cables, whether communications or energy, have become a first level actor in the geopolitics of the planet, is out of any doubt. The cases of cuts and Sabotajes that have occurred in recent months, together with The huge investments They are taking place among companies with AI in the equation, attest to it. However, if the cable cut occurs in a high voltage place such as Taiwan, the incident acquires another channel.
The suspicion of sabotage. It is not the first time in the enclave, like We have counted beforebut it has happened again. The authorities of Taiwan have stopped a ship of load under the suspicion of having cut a communications cable Submarine that connects the main island with the Penghu archipelago, located about 30 kilometers west.
Although the investigation is still ongoing, the event adds to a series of similar incidents that have generated restlessness on possible tactics of maritime sabotage by China and Russia. The problem: the ship is manned by Chinese citizens.
The arrest. A Taiwanese coach detected That the vessel, a freighter in poor condition with multiple names and Chinese financing, was in the area when the cable rupture occurred. According to Ou Yu-FEI, spokesman for the Coast Guard, it was The only ship present In the area at that time, which reinforces the hypothesis of its involvement.
In addition, they say that the ship could have used a false registration number and changed its name suddenly, a common pattern in covert activities.
Context of a “possible.” As has told the New York Timesthe incident occurred around Tuesday at 3:24 am, shortly after a Taiwanese patrol ordered the freighter to leave the area because they were too close to the submarine cables with the anchor thrown. This detail has led the authorities to consider the possibility that the ship took advantage of its exit to perform a deliberate act of sabotage.
Crucial cables. The cutting of submarine communications cables is always a serious accident, but in the case of Taiwan a little more. The reason? It depends on Great measure of these cables for its connectivity with its peripheral islands and with the rest of the world. While they can be damaged by natural causes such as earthquakes or aging of the material, the most common reason is the drag of ships of ships or fishing nets.
In fact and as we remembered, recent patterns have led some analysts to speculate that China and Russia could be resorting to deliberate sabotage as a form of harassment in the sea.
A trend. A summary of the growing number of similar cases could be made in recent times. In 2023a cable between Taiwan and the Matsu Islands was cut, affecting communications for weeks. TO beginnings of 2025a digital cable that connects Taiwan with South Korea, Japan, China and the United States suffered damage, indicated that a Chinese ship could have dragged its anchor over it. In November 2024two fiber optic cables in the Baltic Sea were cut, and the investigations pointed to a Chinese/Russian flag freighter.
In response to this trend, the Taiwan government has intensified surveillance of its underwater infrastructure and has prepared a list of More than 50 suspicious shipsmany of them registered with convenience flags (such as the togolesa, used by the detainee ship).
The answer. A few hours ago, China has accused Taiwan of politically manipulate the recent incident of the submarine cable. According to Beijing, the Taiwanese government has exaggerated the situation without conclusive evidence, with the aim of feeding tensions and obtaining political revenue.
Zhu Fenglian, spokesman for the Chinese Government’s Taiwan Affairs Office, minimized the same, stating that damage to submarine cables They are common maritime accidents that occur more than a hundred times a year worldwide. In addition, he accused the Democratic Progressive Party (PPD), which governs Taiwan, to use the event to manipulate public opinion without their claims having real support. For its part, the Taiwanese government has rejected Beijing’s claims, insisting that there are clear indications of possible sabotage, especially since the ship with Chinese links was present in the area when it occurred.
Geopolitical implications. If Taiwan’s suspicions are confirmed about intentional damage, the fact could climb the tensions between the island and China. As We have been countingBeijin considers Taiwan as part of its territory and has increased pressure on the island in recent years through military incursionseconomic pressure and cyber attacks.
We will have to wait, since the case has been sent to prosecutors to deeper investigation. Meanwhile, the island continues reinforcing your measures security to avoid new interruptions in their underwater communications. In a context in which the control of digital networks and critical infrastructure has become a hybrid war tool, these incidents reinforce the perception that the “neighbor” could be exploring forms of indirect destabilization without reaching an open conflict .
Image | 總統府Taiwan Coast Guard