Taiwan Detains 11 Crew Of Chinese Barge Suspected Of Damaging Undersea Cable

Taiwanese authorities are investigating a Chinese-flagged barge suspected of damaging an undersea telecommunications cable near Dongyin Island in the Matsu Islands during a salvage operation.

The Coast Guard Administration (CGA) said the vessel, Hai Hong Gong 66, had been hired to remove a stranded Chinese fishing vessel, Min Lian Yu 63896.

The fishing boat had taken on water, was abandoned by its crew, and later drifted ashore near Dongyin on March 21.

The barge began salvage operations on March 30 after authorities approved a plan that included safety checks such as reviewing cable locations and pollution control measures.

On the same day, Chunghwa Telecom reported a malfunction in the Dongyin-Beigan section of the Taiwan-Matsu Subsea Cable No. 3. The company said it suspected the damage was linked to the salvage work being carried out by the barge.

Following the report, the Coast Guard ordered the vessel to stop operations and sent a patrol boat to the area to collect evidence and inspect the site.

Officials boarded the vessel, questioned all 11 crew members involved in the operation, and brought the captain ashore for further questioning.

Authorities said part of the cable’s optical fibres had been damaged, but the connection remains in service as traffic was rerouted.

Taiwan’s Ministry of Digital Affairs said contingency measures were already in place to ensure communications in Dongyin were not affected.

Engineers are now carrying out further checks to assess the extent of the damage. Chunghwa Telecom is also planning an underwater inspection to determine the exact cause.

Repair work is expected to take time, with authorities indicating that full restoration may not be completed before July 2026. A cable repair vessel has been arranged for the work.

The case has been handed over to the Lienchiang District Prosecutors’ Office for further investigation. The Coast Guard said it will continue to monitor the movements of the barge.

Officials noted that Dongyin is located less than 30 nautical miles from the Chinese mainland, and the Matsu Islands are often an area of close interaction between Taiwanese and Chinese vessels.

Separately, the Coast Guard is also looking into a Taiwanese vessel named Sanlihsin, which was found transmitting a maritime identification signal registered to China while operating near Pingtung County’s Fonggang area.

Authorities said the vessel ignored calls to stop and later switched off its automatic identification system. It was operating about 7.9 nautical miles west of Fangshan Township, where no Chinese vessels were present.

The agency suspects the vessel may have been using a Chinese-made transponder, but said it has not changed its registered identity or shown any other unusual behaviour. Investigations into both cases are ongoing.

References: taiwannews, ANI