TAIPEI — A Taiwanese court has sentenced a Chinese ship captain to three years in prison for damaging a key undersea communications cable a rare and politically charged verdict that plays into rising tensions between Taipei and Beijing.
The man, known by his surname Wang, was at the helm of the Hong Tai 58, a cargo vessel sailing under a Togolese flag. He was convicted on Thursday for damaging the cable that links Taiwan’s main island with the outlying Penghu islands.
The ruling marks the first time Taiwan has jailed someone for sabotaging its undersea infrastructure, which is essential for internet and communication links across the region.
“The impact is enormous,” the Tainan District Court said in its verdict. “The defendant’s actions should be severely condemned.”
Surveillance, Sabotage, or Misjudgement?
Undersea cables might not grab headlines, but they carry more than 95% of the world’s internet traffic. Taiwan, surrounded by geopolitical tensions, operates 24 such cables 10 domestic, 14 international. When even one is damaged, the consequences can be immediate and wide-ranging.
Authorities in Taipei say Wang’s ship lingered suspiciously off the island’s southern coast for several days in February. Taiwan’s Coast Guard repeatedly ordered it to move. Minutes after it left the area in the early hours of 25 February, the cable was found severed.
The Hong Tai 58 was soon intercepted and brought to port for inspection. Its Chinese crew of eight were detained, though only Captain Wang was formally charged. The others have reportedly been repatriated.
Wang initially denied responsibility. But during the trial, he conceded he “might have broken the cable.” He said rough seas made anchoring difficult, and claimed he didn’t know there were cables beneath.
He chose not to hire legal counsel.
Prosecutors disagreed, pointing to ship data that showed erratic movement over the cable site and navigation charts clearly marking the cable’s location.
“The vessel was highly suspicious,” said lead prosecutor Hsu Shu-han, speaking to media in May. “It had only one recorded cargo shipment all year and was in poor condition but still operating.”
The Hong Tai 58 had changed names multiple times, and Wang reportedly concealed details about the ship’s ownership. The damaged section of cable was also found to have been dragged by an anchor matching the ship’s exact location.
Beijing’s Denial, Taipei’s Alarm
Taiwan has long accused China of testing its defences through non-military tactics cutting cables, flying drones, or launching cyberattacks all while staying below the threshold of open conflict. These are often referred to by defence analysts as “grey zone” actions.
Beijing denies any involvement. It maintains that such incidents are routine maritime accidents and has accused Taiwan of exaggerating them for political gain.
In this case, no direct evidence has emerged linking Wang or his crew to Chinese government orders. Investigators say his phone records did not suggest coordination with Chinese officials.
Still, concern is growing.
“Some scholars say World War III could start with the cutting of undersea cables. That’s not far-fetched,” said Herming Chiueh, Taiwan’s deputy digital affairs minister, in an interview with BBC Chinese.
“Our job is to respond quickly when these systems are compromised,” he added.
Kuan Bi-ling, head of Taiwan’s Ocean Affairs Council, said Wang’s vessel was one of 52 ships flagged for suspicious activity in the Taiwan Strait.
Between 2019 and 2023, Taiwan recorded 36 incidents involving undersea cable damage caused by external forces. In January, authorities blamed another Chinese-owned vessel for cutting a separate cable off Taiwan’s northern coast a claim denied by the ship’s owner.
Such incidents are not confined to Asia. In the Baltic Sea last year, a Chinese vessel was suspected of severing two undersea cables connecting Sweden and Estonia. A Swedish inquiry later found no conclusive proof but another investigation is still ongoing.
Rising Stakes in the Strait
Tensions between China and Taiwan have escalated steadily in recent months. Beijing, which considers the island part of its territory, has stepped up military drills, including blockade simulations around Taiwan.
Taiwan’s newly elected president, William Lai, has taken a firm line against Chinese interference, calling the mainland “a foreign hostile force.”
China’s foreign ministry has yet to issue a formal statement on the court ruling.
In Taiwan, the case has stirred public debate about how best to protect critical infrastructure in increasingly contested waters.
For now, Captain Wang remains behind bars, convicted not of espionage or conspiracy but of cutting a line that carries the signals tying one island to the rest of the world.
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