Taiwan seeks South Korean help to probe cable sabotage incident

Authorities suspect that Chinese-owned cargo ship intentionally damaged the cable by dragging its anchor

Taiwan has requested assistance from South Korea to investigate a Chinese-owned cargo ship suspected of damaging an undersea communication cable near Taiwan's northern coast.

The Taiwan Coast Guard and telecommunications provider Chunghwa Telecom have identified the vessel as Shunxing39, a cargo ship flying a Cameroonian flag.

The Taiwanese officials have traced ownership to Jie Yang Trading Limited, a Hong Kong-based company with a sole director who is a mainland Chinese citizen.

The damaged cable, part of the Trans-Pacific Express Cable System connecting Taiwan to the US west coast, was successfully rerouted, mitigating immediate disruptions to internet connectivity.

However, the incident has raised concerns in Taipei, particularly amid China's aggressive territorial claims over Taiwan and its escalating military activities in the region.

Authorities in Taiwan suspect that the Shunxing39 intentionally damaged the cable by dragging its anchor, supported by ship tracking data that showed the vessel lingering near the rupture site for an extended period.

While the Coast Guard conducted an external inspection and established radio contact with the captain, rough weather prevented boarding. Legal constraints also barred seizure of the ship due to the time elapsed since the incident.

Taiwan has now turned to South Korea for support in investigating the Shunxing39 as it arrives at the port of Pusan.

"This is another case of a very worrying global trend of sabotage against subsea cables," a senior Taiwanese national security official told the Financial Times.

"The ships that are involved in these incidents are typically rundown vessels that have little above-the-board business. This one, too, is in very bad shape. It is similar to the ships that are part of Russia's 'shadow fleet'," he added.

The incident comes amid growing global concern over the vulnerability of undersea infrastructure. Recent events, such as the cutting of fibre optic cables in the Baltic Sea in November and damage to a gas pipeline and cable in October 2023, highlight the fragility of such systems and the difficulties in deterring and prosecuting sabotage.

Finnish authorities seize oil tanker suspected of damaging undersea cables

A Finnish court on Friday rejected a request to release an oil tanker suspected of damaging Finnish-Estonian Estlink 2 undersea power line and four telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea in November.

The Eagle S, carrying Russian oil, was seized by Finnish authorities on 26th December following the incident, which occurred near the Finnish-Estonian border.

The court's ruling comes amid rising security concerns in the Baltic Sea region following a series of incidents involving critical infrastructure since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

Finnish authorities suspect that the Eagle S is part of a "shadow fleet" of ageing tankers used to circumvent international sanctions on Russian oil. The vessel's cargo of 35,000 tonnes of unleaded petrol has been seized by Finnish customs, and the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation is conducting a thorough investigation.

The owners of the tanker, United Arab Emirates-based Caravella LLC FZ, have challenged the seizure, arguing that it was conducted in international waters. However, the court dismissed this claim and upheld the continued detention of the vessel.

The investigation into the Eagle S is ongoing, with Finnish authorities focusing on determining whether the damage to the undersea cables was intentional and whether any sanctions violations occurred.

The crew of the vessel, comprising Georgian and Indian citizens, are currently being questioned by Finnish police.