A Taiwanese court sentenced the Chinese captain of a cargo ship to three years in prison on Thursday for damaging undersea communication cables off the island’s southwest coast earlier this year, a case that raised tensions with Beijing.
The Tainan District Court found the captain, identified only by his surname Wang, guilty of ordering his crew to drop anchor near the cables in February, causing them to snap. Wang denied the charges, claiming negligence rather than intent, but the court ruled the damage was a result of his failure to maintain control of the vessel.
The ship, Hong Tai 58, registered in Togo and crewed by Chinese nationals, was seized by Taiwanese authorities after Chunghwa Telecom reported major cable disruptions. The court said the company incurred over NT$17 million (about $576,000) in repair costs.
Taiwanese prosecutors previously deported seven other crew members due to insufficient evidence.
Beijing has accused Taipei of politicizing the incident. China’s Taiwan Affairs Office did not immediately comment on the verdict.
Taiwan, which has faced a growing number of undersea cable failures — five so far in 2025 — sees the incidents as a potential threat to its communications infrastructure amid rising cross-strait tensions.