Taiwan’s coastguard detained a Togo–registered freighter and its Chinese crew on Tuesday over suspicions it was involved in the cutting of a key undersea telecommunications cable.
Taiwanese Cabinet spokeswoman Michelle Lee Hui-chih told dpa the matter was being investigated to determine whether deliberate sabotage was involved.
The state-owned Central News Agency (CNA) reported that the Ministry of Digital Affairs had instructed Chunghwa Telecom to carry out an emergency diversion of telecom traffic to other undersea cables.
This was to ensure normal connections between the main island of Taiwan and the Islands of Penghu County and Kinmen.
Taiwan has had an independent government since 1949, but China considers the democratic island part of its territory. (dpa/NAN)
