Taiwan will enhance the protection of its underwater cables against suspicious vessels.

The Taiwanese military will protect underwater communication cables near the island from suspicious vessels. This measure is being implemented following the damage caused to one of the cables by a China-related ship in the northern part of the island.

This was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing Reuters.

Defense Minister Wellington Koo stated that the country’s Navy will assist the coast guard in responding to suspicious ship activity near the underwater communication cables.

Speaking to reporters in parliament, Koo mentioned that the military will closely coordinate with the coast guard and help monitor areas where the underwater cables are laid.

"As soon as something occurs, the coast guard will respond first, and if necessary, the Navy will immediately collaborate if a response is required," he said.

The Director-General of Taiwan's National Security Bureau, Tsai Ming-yen, during a speech in parliament, stated that the government has already initiated a mechanism with "international friends" to share information about Chinese maritime activities in the "gray zone," although he did not provide details about the initiative.

According to Tsai, Taipei will focus on vessels flying convenient flags—those registered in countries different from their actual owners—and how China may use them in the waters surrounding the island.

Incident of Cable Damage Near Taiwan

Last week, Taiwan announced that in early January, a vessel owned by a Hong Kong company but registered in Cameroon and Tanzania damaged a cable in the northern part of the island.

The Taiwanese government stated that Chinese ships operating under convenient flags have a "mark of evil."

Additionally, officials in Taipei noted the similarity of this incident to the recent damage to underwater communication cables in the Baltic Sea. Investigators identified a vessel from Russia's shadow fleet of tankers as the culprit.

China regularly conducts aggressive provocations in the "gray zone" around the island, as it considers Taiwan its territory and openly declares its intention to annex the island by force.