Fears of Chinese sabotage as ‘deep sea cable is cut off coast of Taiwan’ days after Russian ship ‘dragged anchor’
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FEARS are mounting over potential Chinese sabotage after a deep sea cable was reportedly sliced off near the Taiwanese coast. Tensions in the region could boil over in 2025 with China's president Xi Jinping vowing to "reunify" with Taiwan as he continues to stage harrowing military exercises in the nearby waters.
![[The ship suspected of causing the damage to the cables is the Cameroonian vessel Shunxin 39 which has apparent links to China]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/suspected-responsible-incident-ship-ordered-961664944.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
Cable cutting on ships has already sparked global concerns following a similar incident that saw a Russian ship allegedly cut a key Finish power cable with its anchor. The incident in Taiwan saw a telecommunications cable damaged off the coast of Yehliu, New Taipei City in the early hours of January 3.
![[A Taiwan Coast Guard crew member monitoring movement around Taiwanese waters]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2024-released-december-9-taiwan-955866907.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
It was first reported by Taiwanese telecoms operator Chunghwa Telecom who later got the national Coast Guard involved to help investigate. They discovered that four cores of the international submarine cable had been left mangled. Officials believe the cable was caught near to the busy port of Keelung on Taiwan’s north coast.
A Cameroon-registered cargo ship known as the Shunxin 39 has been blamed for causing the damage, according to Taiwan’s National Coast Guard Administration. Tracking data from the ship’s automatic identification system signal and satellite data showed the Shunxing 39 dragged its anchor near to the where the cable was ruptured.
![[The Taiwan Coast Guard inspecting a nearby Chinese vessel near the coast]](https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/2024-released-december-9-taiwan-955874417.jpg?strip=all&w=960)
