Beijing and Taipei are clashing over the severing of an underwater cable near Taiwan, according to Reuters.
Recently, a Chinese vessel damaged underwater cables off the coast of Taiwan. This incident has heightened tensions between the countries.
This was reported by RBK-Ukraine citing Reuters.
The Taiwan Coast Guard suspects that the Chinese ship damaged the cable near the northern coast of the island late last week; however, investigators were unable to board the vessel for investigation due to adverse weather conditions. The ship's owner told the agency that there is no evidence of their involvement in this incident.
The Taiwanese Coast Guard "does not rule out the possibility" that the vessel, which is registered in Cameroon and Tanzania but owned by a Hong Kong company, was engaged in activities in the "gray zone." However, the agency has not provided any direct evidence of this.
"Mark of Evil"
Late Wednesday evening, January 8, China's Taiwan Affairs Office stated that the damage to the underwater cables is a "common maritime accident," and Taiwan is making accusations "out of thin air" and deliberately inflating the "so-called gray zone threat from the mainland."
In response to this statement, the Taiwan Mainland Affairs Council stated that the matter is under investigation and will be addressed based on the evidence obtained.
"Internationally, Chinese ships sailing under convenient flags bear the mark of evil," the statement said. This refers to a recent incident of damaged underwater cables in the Baltic Sea.
The Council reminded that Taiwan has previously encountered cable damage leading to the Kinmen and Matsu islands. These territories are located near the Chinese coast but are controlled by Taipei.
"Certainly, the government (of Taiwan) must be cautious in addressing this issue," they added.
Previously, Taiwan has repeatedly complained about China's activities in the "gray zone" around the island, aimed at exerting pressure without direct confrontation. In particular, there have been instances of Chinese balloon overflights and dredging operations in the sand.
It was previously reported that the cable damage near Taiwan occurred on January 3 near the port of Keelung, and the culprit was the cargo ship Shunxing39.
Tense Relations Between China and Taiwan
Chinese authorities label Taiwan's President Lai Ching-te as a "separatist" and reject his repeated attempts to initiate negotiations.
Last year, China conducted military exercises at sea twice under the pretext of warning against "separatism."
Xi Jinping regularly expresses his intention to bring Taiwan under the control of the PRC. However, Lai and his government reject Beijing's claims to sovereignty, stating that only the people of Taiwan can decide their future.
Damage to Cables in the Baltic Sea
The incident in Asia closely parallels a recent similar case of damage to communication cables between Finland and Estonia in the Baltic Sea.
The crew of the vessel is suspected of vandalism, and seven sailors have been banned from leaving the country.