Latest News

Taiwan Navy will protect sea cables in case of need, Defence Minister says

Taiwan's navy will be dispatched if necessary to assist the coastguard in responding to any suspicious activities near undersea communications cables, Defence minister Wellington Koo announced on Thursday. A ship with a Chinese connection was suspected of damaging a cable.

Taiwan, which China considers its own territory said that a ship owned and registered in both Cameroon, and Tanzania, but owned by a Hong Kong-based company, damaged a cable north of the island this month. However, it was not able to confirm the intentions of the ship and could not board it because bad weather.

China's government said that Taiwan had made up the allegations before all facts were known.

This incident is particularly alarming for Taiwan, which has complained repeatedly about Chinese activities in the "grey zones" around the island. These include balloon overflights, sand dredging, and other methods of pressure without direct confrontation.

Koo told reporters in the parliament that the armed services would work closely with the coastguard and monitor the areas where sea cables are located.

He added that "once something happens, the Coast Guard will go first and, if necessary, the Navy will cooperate immediately if an immediate response is needed."

Tsai, the director-general of Taiwan's National Security Bureau, also spoke to the media in parliament. He said that the government had already activated a system with "international allies" to share information on Chinese maritime activities within the "grey zones", but did not provide any details.

Tsai stated that Taiwan will focus on the use of ships with flags-of-convenience - registered to another country than the actual owner- by China in the waters surrounding the island.

Taiwan's government, which rejects Beijing's claims of sovereignty, has drawn parallels between the damage it suffered and that caused to cables undersea in the Baltic Sea after Russia invaded Ukraine.

Taiwan's government claimed last week that Chinese ships flying flags for convenience are "marked with evil".

(source: Reuters)