Taiwanese coast guard Photo: Getty Images
The Taiwanese government is expressing concerns about China’s possible intentions to interrupt the island’s external communications following an incident involving damage to an international communications cable. The incident occurred near the port of Jilong, where the cargo ship Shunxing39 allegedly damaged the submarine cable connecting Taiwan to the United States via the Trans-Pacific Express system. This was reported by the Financial Times.
The Shunxing39, a Cameroonian-flagged vessel, but owned by the Chinese company Jie Yang Trading Limited, according to Taiwan, was spotted in the area of the cable damage. The Taiwanese Coast Guard confirmed that the vessel was dragging its anchor along the seabed, which could have caused the cable to break.
Telecom operator Chunghwa Telecom reported that digital traffic was immediately rerouted via other submarine cables to avoid interruptions in communications. However, the infrastructure that was damaged is critical to Taiwan’s international communications.
Threat to national security
A senior Taiwanese national security official said that the vessel was in “very poor condition” and resembled ships from Russia’s “shadow fleet”. Due to poor weather conditions, coastguards were unable to board the vessel for further inspection and detention.
Taipei fears that such incidents may be part of China’s strategy to isolate Taiwan. “Interrupting external communications could create an information vacuum and complicate international support in the event of an invasion,” the Taiwanese government said.
Taiwan has long been at the centre of geopolitical confrontation between China and Western countries, including the United States. The cable incident highlights the island’s vulnerability to actions aimed at isolating it.
This case is another signal to the international community about the threat that China may pose to Taiwan’s security.
