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Taiwan has announced an investigation into a Chinese-crewed cargo ship suspected of severing an undersea communications cable.

Some shit you should know before you read: Throughout the world, there are miles of undersea cables that form the backbone of global communication, transmitting nearly 95% of international data, including internet traffic, financial transactions, and military communications. Recently, there has been an uptick in sabotage incidents involving these cables, raising security concerns. Notably, in the Baltic Sea, unexplained damage to cables and pipelines has heightened tensions, with countries like Finland, Denmark, and Estonia suspecting sabotage from Russia amid the war in Ukraine. Despite the accusations, Russia denies any involvement.

What’s going on now: Taiwan has announced an investigation into the Togolese-flagged cargo ship Hongtai, which is suspected of severing an undersea communications cable near the Penghu Islands. The incident occurred six nautical miles northwest of Jiangjun Fishing Harbor, and the ship had been anchored in the area since Saturday. The Taiwanese Coast Guard ultimately intercepted the Hongtai as it began sailing northwest and escorted it to Anping Port, where they discovered the entire crew consisted of eight Chinese nationals.

Taiwanese officials are treating the case with “national security-level principles” and are investigating whether the break was accidental or intentional sabotage. The Coast Guard also noted that China could not rule out the possibility of a gray-zone incursion.

This all comes after Taiwan faced a series of undersea cable disruptions in recent years, with suspicions frequently directed at Chinese vessels. Back in November, another Chinese cargo ship was accused of damaging a communications link northeast of Taiwan. In February of 2023, two undersea cables serving the Matsu Islands were severed (allegedly by a Chinese fishing vessel), causing communication outages for weeks.