What Actually Caused the Latest Submarine Cut Near Taiwan? |
Features | Security | East Asia
What Actually Caused the Latest Submarine Cut Near Taiwan?
A cable linking Matsu Island to Taiwan was severed – again. And again, Chinese vessels were operating in the area.
The Hai Hong Gong 66 conducts salvage operations on the wreck of the Min Lian Yu 63896 near the Matsu Islands, Mar. 30, 2026.
In late April, submarine cables to Taiwan’s outlying island of Matsu were once again cut – something that has happened more than 20 times in the last five years.
The most notable incident was in 2023, when Matsu’s primary two submarine cables were both cut. As a result, residents of Matsu were left without internet access for over 50 days, while the island waited for repair vessels to fix the cut cables. Though emergency microwave transmitters were activated, sending a text message took around 20 minutes. Crowds seeking a signal gathered around Chunghwa Telecom stores with stronger connection even in the cold night.
The April 2026 incident marked the third time in the past four years that the No. 3 cable connecting Beigan and Dongyin in Matsu has been cut. The cut impacted the 1,500 residents of Dongyin Township, who can continue to access mobile, voice, and data services, but will be impacted by reduced connectivity.
Amid the repeated disruptions, China has increasingly come under criticism. Some allege that Chinese vessels are deliberately cutting submarine cables as a means of sabotaging communication infrastructure in Taiwan. Although alarm has been raised in the past regarding Chinese patents for technology that could be used to cut submarine cables, most allegations are that China cuts cables through a simpler method: by having ships drag anchors over them. This tactic costs little, allows for plausible deniability, and can be accomplished by a wide range of ships.
A cable does not necessarily need to be cut by an anchor for this tactic to work. Damage occurs after salt water seeps into the wire, allowing the responsible vessel to leave the area before damage is discovered. This is why when vessels cut submarine wires, it involves repeatedly dragging an anchor over an area.
The Latest Incident: A Shipwreck and Salvage
The April submarine cable cut, however, has largely been attributed in international news reporting to a more benign factor: weather conditions causing a shipwreck to shift position. Some reports stated that this was an “old” shipwreck. In reality, however, the shipwreck was that of the Min Lian Yu 63896, which was reported abandoned at sea on March 21 of this year.
The Min Lian Yu 63896 is a Chinese vessel previously known to have participated in civilian-military fusion exercises, including the unusual amassing of thousands of civilians vessels in December and January. That drill was largely thought to be the Chinese Maritime Militia testing China’s capacities to execute future quarantine maneuvers.
In sharp contrast to international reporting, Taiwanese domestic media has largely attributed the cable cut to the actions of the Hai Hong Gong 66, which was commissioned by the owner of the shipwrecked Min Lian Yu 63896. Over the years, the Hai Hong Gong 66 has operated around Matsu from its home port there.
In March 2026, the Hai Hong Gong 66 took an unusual meandering pattern around the Matsu islands rather than head directly for the wreck, as it would be expected to do in a salvage operation in which time is of the essence. Indeed, when Chinese vessels have been accused of cutting submarine wires in the past, an unusual meandering pattern has also been observed. The Hai Hong Gong 66’s path would have taken it near submarine cable infrastructure that connect the Matsu Islands to the island of Taiwan.
The movement of the Hai Hong Gong 66 from Mar. 19, 2026, 09:00 p.m UTC to Mar. 31, 2026, 04:00 a.m. UTC. Data is from Protomaps, OpenStreetMap contributors, Global Fishing Watch, TeleGeography.
As such, it is possible that the Hai Hong Gong 66 cut submarine cables under the pretenses of a salvage operation.
It is notable that despite the Hai Hong Gong 66’s history of participating in civilian military fusion exercises, the vessel was allowed into restricted waters by the Taiwanese Coast Guard. Though the Coast Guard is known to be present during the purported salvage operation, it is unclear how and when they accompanied the dredger in question.
The Hai Hong Gong 66’s captain and crew were later questioned by the Coast Guard after the submarine cable cut was detected.
Before the Min Lian Yu 63896 was reported abandoned, likewise, there was an unusual pattern of movements from another, similarly named vessel, the Min Lian Yu 68999. It is possible that the Min Lian Yu 68999 retrieved the crew of the Min Lian Yu 63896 before it was declared abandoned. A ship named the Min Lian Yu 61986 also assisted.
Selected ship movements from Mar. 19, 2026, 11:00 p.m. UTC to Mar. 20, 2026, 9:00 p.m. UTC. Data is from Protomaps, OpenStreetMap contributors, Global Fishing Watch, TeleGeography.
International Comparisons
The Diplomat spoke to national security experts at ingeniSPACE, a geospatial intelligence company that specializes in monitoring the irregular warfare around the global. When it comes to deliberate cuts of submarine cables, analysts pointed to several patterns of plausible deniability. For example, submarine wire cuts in the Baltic Sea involved vessels dragging anchors, including China and Russia-flagged vessels. When the damage is attributed to a specific vessel, the captain and crew always claim it was an accident.
“China and Russia continue to innovate and blue the lines of modern warfare,” said the source, who asked to remain anonymous. “China prefers ‘invisible hybrid........