Taiwan Suspects Chinese Ship Severed Undersea Cable Off Its Coast

The ship headed toward South Korea following the alleged damage, Taiwanese media reported.

A Taiwanese coast guard ship travels past the coast of China, in the waters off Nangan Island of Matsu archipelago in Taiwan on Aug. 16, 2022. Ann Wang /Reuters

Taiwan’s coast guard said on Jan. 5 that a Chinese vessel has allegedly severed an undersea cable located off the coast of the Taiwanese port Keelung Harbor.

The coast guard reported spotting the Shunxin-39, a Cameroon-registered vessel, seven nautical miles off the north coast of Taiwan’s Yehliu at 4:40 p.m. local time on Jan. 3, prompting it to dispatch a ship in response, according to local reports.