Taiwan accuses Chinese ship captain of cutting undersea cable

Taiwanese authorities announced on April 11, 2025, the arrest of the Chinese captain of the Hong Tai 58 vessel, accused of cutting an undersea telecommunications cable by dropping and dragging the ship’s anchor. Flying the Togolese flag, the cargo ship was built in China and operates with an entirely Chinese crew. According to Taiwanese authorities, this incident may be part of “a Chinese sabotage campaign targeting the island.”

Prosecutors in the city of Tainan have formally charged the Chinese captain with damaging the cable, which connects Taiwan to the Pescadores Islands. This marks the first official arrest for such an offense, despite a dozen similar incidents in recent years. The captain is expected to plead “not guilty” and is reportedly refusing to cooperate with prosecutors, particularly in their investigations into the ownership of the cargo ship.