Overview

• Taiwanese prosecutors charged Captain Wang with intentionally damaging an undersea cable in February, marking the first case of its kind in Taiwan.
• The Hong Tai 58, a Chinese-crewed ship registered in Togo, is accused of dropping anchor near the cable off southwestern Taiwan, causing damage.
• Seven other Chinese nationals detained with the captain will not face charges and are set to be repatriated to China.
• Taiwan has reported a rise in cable malfunctions, with five incidents in 2025 compared to three each in 2024 and 2023, prompting heightened security measures.
• Authorities are intensifying monitoring efforts, including tracking a blacklist of nearly 100 China-linked ships, to safeguard critical undersea communication links.