Chinese authorities have formally charged two Taiwanese citizens with involvement in a smuggling operation linked to an incident in February that damaged an undersea cable and fueled renewed tensions between Beijing and Taipei.
According to a statement from police in Weihai , a coastal city in eastern Shandong province, the investigation revealed that the vessel involved, the Hongtai 58 , flying the Togolese flag, was controlled by two Taiwanese men. Authorities allege that both men have a long history of trafficking frozen foods destined for the Chinese market.
In a statement released by state media , the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council accused Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party of making what it considers unfounded claims. Beijing specifically disputes the claim that China deliberately sabotaged undersea cables in waters near the island using the Hongtai 58 , with the aim of stirring up tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
Taiwan, for its part, has long accused China of using pressure strategies defined as “gray zone” or “hybrid warfare.” These terms refer to low-intensity coercive actions, such as alleged acts of sabotage, which leave room for ambiguity regarding the attribution of responsibility.
Beijing has denied any direct involvement in the episode, describing it as a routine maritime incident and accusing Taiwanese authorities of having exaggerated its implications.
Meanwhile, in June, a Taiwanese court sentenced the captain of the Hongtai 58 to three years in prison for intentionally damaging undersea cables in the waters surrounding the island. The seven Chinese crew members were repatriated to mainland China without trial and subsequently questioned by authorities as part of the investigation.
Weihai police also released details of the two Taiwanese suspects, offering a reward of 250,000 yuan, approximately $35,569, for information leading to their identification. According to the official report, both suspects, referred to by their surnames Jian and Chen, have been on the Chinese customs wanted list since 2014.
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council responded by emphasizing that the People’s Republic of China does not exercise jurisdiction over the island and called on Beijing to present concrete evidence to support the allegations. In an official statement, the body criticized the publication of the names and the offer of rewards, calling them a form of cross-border repression and political exploitation in the absence of verifiable evidence.
Undersea cables are an essential infrastructure for the Internet and the global telecommunications system, carrying nearly all of the world’s data traffic. However, these connections are vulnerable to damage from both natural phenomena and human activity.
According to industry estimates, between 100 and 200 submarine cable failures occur globally each year, and definitively proving the human cause of a failure is often difficult. Since 2023, at least 11 cable failures have occurred in the waters around Taiwan, some of which have subsequently been attributed to accidents or aging infrastructure.
Since the outbreak of the war between Russia and Ukraine, similar incidents have also increased in the Baltic countries, where authorities have encountered difficulties in taking legal action against ships and shipowners with ties to China and Russia.
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