Taiwan's Coast Guard Administration (CGA) reported that it deployed the PP-10079 patrol and rescue vessel at 2:30 a.m. Tuesday to monitor the "Hong Tai" freighter, which had anchored about six nautical miles northwest of Jiangjun Fishing Port in Tainan.
The CGA issued immediate orders for the vessel to depart, but at around 3 a.m., the agency was informed by the state-controlled Chunghwa Telecom that the "Taiwan-Penghu No. 3" submarine fiber optic cable had been severed.
The CGA then began efforts to detain the ship, suspecting possible sabotage. However, due to a height difference between the two vessels, CGA personnel were unable to board the "Hong Tai" directly. The CGA sent the Cijin offshore patrol vessel and the PP-10059 patrol vessel to assist in boarding and detaining the ship.
The Hong Tai, which the CGA noted was funded by "Chinese capital," was later escorted to Anping Harbor, where the ship and its eight crew members—who are all Chinese nationals—were detained for further investigation by Tainan district prosecutors.
Upon attempting communication with the vessel, the crew identified the ship as "Hong Tai 168," a name that did not match the Automatic Identification System, which displayed the name as "Hong Tai 58." The CGA stated that the ship's true identity would be verified during the investigation.
The CGA reported that the freighter had been loitering near the damaged cable, at a distance of about 925 meters, since 7 p.m. on February 22. Taiwan's Ministry of Digital Affairs confirmed that communication through the Taiwan-Penghu No. 3 cable had been rerouted to other cables, ensuring no disruption in services.
The CGA described the incident as potentially involving "gray zone" activity by China. This term refers to actions that fall between the conventional understandings of war and peace, typically involving ambiguous or nontraditional methods to achieve strategic objectives without directly engaging in open conflict. The CGA confirmed that it would be working closely with prosecutors to fully investigate the matter.