SHUNXING39 cargo ship, sailing under the flag of Cameroon, allegedly caused damage to an underwater communication cable on January 3 in the vicinity of the Jilun port in northeastern Taiwan. The incident has raised concerns in Taiwan regarding potential Chinese involvement, as reported by the Financial Times.
Taiwan authorities have identified the ship as belonging to the Hong Kong-based company Jie Yang Trading Limited, whose leader is a Chinese national. Following the cable damage, the operator Chungwa Telecom swiftly redirected digital data through alternative lines to minimize disruptions.
Confirmation from the vessel’s automatic identification system and satellite data revealed that Shunxing39 was anchored near the cable break on the seafloor. Despite attempts to detain the ship being hindered by adverse weather conditions, Taiwan’s coast guard managed to conduct an external inspection and establish radio contact with the captain. National security representatives have expressed concerns about the vessel’s poor condition, likening it to those in the “shadow fleet.”
Taiwan has sought assistance from South Korea, as the vessel’s next port of call is expected to be Port Pusan. This incident has heightened Taiwan’s apprehensions regarding potential Chinese efforts to influence critical infrastructure.
This incident adds to a series of similar cases. In December 2024, the Esltink 2 cable linking Finland and Estonia suffered damage in the Baltic Sea, with the Finnish coast guard detaining the Eagle S tanker suspected of involvement. In November 2024, cable disruptions between Lithuania, Sweden, Finland, and Germany raised concerns about the vulnerability of underwater infrastructure to damage.