Taiwan has launched round-the-clock patrols in the Taiwan Strait to defend its undersea cables, which officials say are now a target of China’s “grey-zone” tactics. This comes after multiple incidents of suspected sabotage that threatened the island’s vital communication links.
The focus is on the TP3 cable, one of 24 that connect Taiwan to domestic and global networks. Earlier this year, the cable made international headlines when a Chinese captain was found guilty of deliberately cutting it.
Taiwanese authorities said the disruption forced coast guard officers to escort the Chinese-crewed vessel Hong Tai 58 for investigation after TP3 went offline in February.
Coast guard officials said that protecting these cables has become a top priority. Patrol vessels, some weighing 100 tons and equipped with water cannons and autocannons, now monitor the area day and night.
An alert system has been set up to detect vessels moving slowly within one kilometre of TP3, while radar
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