Suspicion against China

Submarine cable off the coast of Taiwan damaged

The Taiwanese coast guard said on Thursday that it could not rule out the possibility that a ship chartered by China had been involved in "gray zone" activities.

(Bild: AFP)

Following damage to an undersea cable off the coast of Taiwan, the government in Taipei suspects a ship chartered by China. The possibility that the ship was involved in "gray zone" activities "cannot be ruled out", the Taiwanese coast guard said on Thursday.

However, no direct evidence of this was presented. The owner of the ship, which is registered in Cameroon and Tanzania but belongs to a company in Hong Kong, denied any involvement to the Reuters news agency.

Beijing: "Ordinary maritime accident"
China's Taiwan office described the damage to the underwater cables as an "ordinary maritime accident" and accused Taiwan of "making up the allegations out of thin air" and "deliberately playing up the so-called gray-zone threat from the mainland".

Taipei deplores "gray zone activities" China's
Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council, which is responsible for the island's China policy, responded that the case would be investigated and action would be taken based on evidence. "Ships from mainland China under flags of convenience have a dubious reputation internationally," it said in a statement. The council referred to investigations in the Baltic states, where Chinese ships are suspected of having damaged undersea cables.

Taiwan, which is claimed by China as its own territory, has repeatedly complained of "gray zone activities" by China aimed at exerting pressure on the island without risking direct confrontation.