Chinese Captain Sentenced for Taiwan Cable Damage
Chinese Captain Sentenced After Taiwan-Penghu Cable Sabotage Raises Security
By Vision Times
March 31, 2026
A Chinese national has been sentenced to three years in prison after a cargo vessel with Chinese-linked ownership deliberately damaged a key undersea communications cable connecting Taiwan and Penghu. The incident has raised new concerns over so-called “gray zone” tactics targeting critical infrastructure.
According to court findings, the Togolese-flagged cargo ship Hong Tai 58 severed the Taiwan-Penghu No. 3 submarine cable in February 2025. The vessel’s Chinese captain, Wang Yuliang, was convicted of damaging telecommunications infrastructure and ordered to pay NT$18.22 million (approximately USD$570,000) in damages to Chunghwa Telecom. The ruling can still be appealed.
Deliberate anchoring in restricted waters
The Tainan District Court found that on the night of Feb. 22, 2025, the vessel entered a restricted no-anchor zone approximately five nautical miles off the coast of Tainan’s Beimen District. Despite clear markings on electronic navigation charts indicating the location of the submarine cable, Wang instructed the crew to deploy a 160-meter anchor chain.
The ship then maneuvered in a zigzag pattern, dragging the anchor across the seabed and ultimately severing the cable, an essential link for telephone and internet communications between Taiwan’s main island and Penghu.
At around 3 a.m., Chunghwa Telecom detected a sudden signal disruption and alerted authorities. Taiwan’s Coast Guard swiftly intercepted the vessel and escorted it to Anping Harbor for investigation. Given suspicions of potential gray zone interference linked to Beijing, the captain was detained and held incommunicado.
Prison sentence and civil damages
Prosecutors charged Wang under Taiwan’s Telecommunications Management Act. Both the initial trial and appeal upheld a three-year prison sentence.
During proceedings, Wang admitted ordering the anchor to be dropped but denied intentionally damaging the cable, claiming it was merely negligence. The court rejected this defense, ruling that his actions constituted a criminal violation. Seven additional crew members were not charged due to insufficient evidence and were deported.
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