Taiwan Coast Guard Detains Stranded Cargo Ship Crewed by 8 Chinese Nationals Suspected of Severing Undersea Cable
The suspected vessel was flying a flag of convenience, meaning it was registered in a country other than that of its owners, common practice in shipping to benefit from lax regulations or lower costs.
TAIPEI - Taiwan has detained the Togo-flagged, Togolese-registered cargo ship "Hongtai," carrying a crew of eight Chinese nationals. The vessel was escorted back to Taiwan after authorities discovered a severed underwater telecommunications cable approximately 9 miles off the coast of Tainan. According to a statement from Taiwan's Coast Guard, the incident is being "handled in accordance with national security-level principles."
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Taiwan's Coast Guard deployed three vessels and detained the cargo ship Hong Tai 58 following reports of a severed undersea cable. The operation began after authorities received an alert about the damaged cable, which is critical for telecommunications infrastructure.
Upon investigation, they found the Hong Tai 58 anchored and stranded 6 nautical miles northwest of the Jiangjun Fishing Port, raising suspicions that it may have caused the disruption. The ship was boarded and detained for further inspection.
The suspected vessel was flying a flag of convenience, meaning it was registered in a country other than that of its owners, a common practice in shipping to benefit from lax regulations or lower costs.
"The appearance of the ship's side was "Hongtai 168," the Coast Guard said adding, "After communicating with the ship by radio, it was replied that the ship was Hongtai 168, but the AIS showed "Hongtai 58".
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