Togolese-registered, 🇨🇳-linked vessel “Hong Tai 168” (宏泰 168) — which contradicted the name "Hong Tai 58” (宏泰 58) shown by its AIS 👉🏻 a flag of convenience — and its 🇨🇳 crew have been detained after the "Taiwan-Penghu No. 3" (臺澎三號) submarine fiber optic cable linking Taiwan and Penghu was severed on Feb 25. Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) dispatched the PP-10079 patrol and rescue vessel at 2:30am Tue to monitor the "Hong Tai" freighter, which was anchored 6 nautical miles northwest of Jiangjun Fishing Port in Tainan. The CGA immediately issued broadcasts ordering the vessel to leave. At around 3am, the CGA received a report from Chunghwa Telecom informing it that the "Taiwan-Penghu No. 3" (臺澎三號) submarine fiber optic cable had been severed. The CGA then began attempting to detain the ship on grounds of possible sabotage. However, due to the difference in height between the two vessels preventing CGA personnel from boarding the Hong Tai, the CGA had to send the Cijin offshore patrol vessel and the PP-10059 patrol vessel to the scene to assist with boarding and detention. The Hong Tai, which was funded by "Chinese capital”, was later brought to Anping Harbor where it and its eight crew members — all 🇨🇳 nationals — were detained, pending investigation by Tainan district prosecutors. When PP-10079 radioed the freighter, its crew said the ship's name was "Hong Tai 168”, which contradicted the name shown by its AIS — "Hong Tai 58”. The ship's name would be verified by an upcoming investigation. The freighter had been loitering near the broken cable at a distance of about 925m from the cable since 7pm on Feb 22. The incident may be part of Beijing’s gray zone operations against Taiwan. focustaiwan.tw/politics/20250…
