China's Shadow Fleet: Ship Detained for Damaging Strategic Cable Near Taiwan.

The Taiwanese Coast Guard has detained a Chinese vessel that damaged an underwater cable off the western coast of the island. This incident is the first case during the campaign against China's 'shadow fleet'.

The detained vessel 'Hong Tai 168' violated a ban and was near a critically important cable connecting Penghu to Taiwan. The crew did not respond to warnings to leave the area.

During the investigation, it was found that the vessel 'Hong Tai 168' was not registered in international shipping databases, and its unique identification number belonged to another ship.

Experts claim that vessels like this are used to conceal their ownership and purpose.

A series of incidents involving damaged underwater cables is becoming increasingly concerning. The latest case occurred near a Swedish island, but this cable had already been damaged in November 2024. Taiwan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called upon the international community to pay attention to this threat to maritime security.