Taiwan and China Clash Over Undersea Cable Incident Amid Rising Concerns

Taiwan, deemed a breakaway province by China, has often raised concerns about "grey zone" tactics like surveillance balloon overflights and sand dredging.

Taipei/Beijing: Taiwan and China have engaged in a war of words over the suspected damage to an undersea communications cable off Taiwan’s northern coast. The incident has raised concerns among Taiwanese officials, who suspect a Chinese-linked vessel may have been involved. However, the ship’s owner has denied any involvement, stating to Reuters on Wednesday that there was no evidence to suggest their ship was responsible for the damage.

Taiwan’s coast guard believes the vessel, which is registered in both Cameroon and Tanzania and owned by a Hong Kong company, caused the damage late last week. Unfortunately, authorities were unable to board the ship to conduct a proper investigation due to bad weather conditions. While the coast guard cannot rule out the possibility of the ship engaging in “grey zone” activities—covert actions aimed at exerting pressure on Taiwan without direct confrontation—they have yet to provide concrete evidence linking the ship to the incident.

Taiwan, which China considers a breakaway province, has frequently raised concerns about such “grey zone” operations, which include tactics such as overflights by surveillance balloons and sand dredging. These activities are seen as part of China’s ongoing strategy to intimidate Taiwan without escalating into open conflict.

In response to Taiwan’s allegations, China’s Taiwan Affairs Office dismissed the claims, suggesting that damage to undersea cables is a common maritime accident. They accused Taiwan of fabricating the accusations, calling them baseless and aimed at inflating fears of a “grey zone” threat from the mainland.

The Mainland Affairs Council, Taiwan’s policy-making body on China, fired back, asserting that the investigation into the incident is ongoing and will proceed based on the available evidence. The council also pointed to similar incidents involving Chinese ships flying flags of convenience in other regions, such as the Baltic states, where there have been investigations into Chinese vessels suspected of damaging undersea cables.

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Taiwan’s concerns about undersea cable damage are not new. The island has previously experienced cable damage to the Kinmen and Matsu Islands, territories located near the Chinese coast but governed by Taiwan. The Mainland Affairs Council emphasized the importance of handling the situation with caution, given the potential security implications.

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The dispute over the undersea cable damage comes amid ongoing tensions between Taiwan and China, with China increasingly vocal in its opposition to Taiwan President Lai Ching-te. Beijing accuses Lai of separatism and has rejected his repeated calls for dialogue. Meanwhile, Lai and his government maintain that only the people of Taiwan have the right to determine their future, rejecting China’s sovereignty claims over the island.

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