TAIPEI (Reuters) – Taiwan will send its naval forces if necessary to help the coast guard respond to any suspicious activity near undersea communications cables, Defense Minister Wellington Koo said on Thursday, after a ship linked to China was suspected of damaging one.
Taiwan, which China considers its territory, said a ship owned by a Hong Kong company but registered in Cameroon and Tanzania destroyed a cable north of the island earlier this month, although it says it has been unable to verify the matter. He was unable to board the ship due to bad weather conditions.
The ship's owner denied involvement, and the Chinese government said Taiwan was making up accusations before the facts became clear.
The incident particularly alarmed Taiwan given that it has repeatedly complained of Chinese activities in the “gray zone” around the island, which aim to pressure it without direct confrontation, such as flying balloons and dredging sand.
Speaking to reporters in Parliament, Ko said the armed forces will closely coordinate with the Coast Guard and help monitor areas where the submarine cable is located.
“As soon as something happens, the Coast Guard will come out first, and if necessary, the Navy will cooperate immediately if necessary,” he added.
Also speaking to media in Parliament, Director-General of Taiwan's National Security Bureau, Tsai Min-yen, said the government had already activated a mechanism with “international friends” to share information about Chinese maritime activities in the “gray zone,” but did not provide details.
Tsai said Taiwan's focus will be on ships carrying flags of convenience — those registered in countries other than their actual owner — and how China could use them in the waters around the island.
Taiwan, whose government rejects Beijing's sovereignty claims, pointed to similarities between what it witnessed and damage to submarine cables in the Baltic Sea after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Taiwan's government said last week that Chinese ships flying flags of convenience carried a “sign of evil.”
