Chinaโs government on Wednesday accused Taiwan of โmanipulatingโ claims of Chinese involvement in the recent undersea cable severing, asserting that the island was making allegations before all facts were established.
Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, has repeatedly complained about โgrey zoneโ Chinese activities around the island, designed to pressure it without direct confrontation, such as balloon overflights and sand dredging.
China-Linked Ship Detained
Taiwanโs coast guard said it detained a China-linked cargo ship on Tuesday after a nearby undersea cable to the Penghu Islands in the sensitive Taiwan Strait was disconnected.
Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for Chinaโs Taiwan Affairs Office, told reporters in Beijing that damage to undersea cables was a โcommon maritime accidentโ which occurs more than a hundred times a year globally.
โWhile the basic facts and the people responsible for the accident have not yet been clarified, the Democratic Progressive Party authorities have deliberately exaggerated the situation in an attempt at political manipulation, which will not enjoy popular support,โ she said, referring to Taiwanโs ruling party.
Subsea Cable Severing
Taipei was alarmed after a Chinese-linked ship was suspected of damaging another cable earlier this year, prompting the navy and other agencies to step up efforts to protect the undersea communication links, which are vital to the islandโs connections to the rest of the world.
Taiwan, whose government rejects Beijingโs sovereignty claims, has pointed to similarities between what it has experienced and damage to undersea cables in the Baltic Sea following Russiaโs invasion of Ukraine.
FoC Ships
Taiwan has pointed the finger at ships which are actually Chinese but carry โflags of convenienceโ of other countries.
Last month, Taiwanโs government said Chinese ships flying flags of convenience have โthe mark of evil about themโ.
Chinese Patrols
Taiwan has also complained about repeated patrols by Chinaโs coast guard in restricted waters around the Kinmen islands, which are controlled by Taiwan but sit very close to the Chinese cities of Xiamen and Quanzhou.
China says the patrols are for routine law enforcement, having begun them last year after two Chinese nationals died trying to flee Taiwanโs coast guard after their boat entered prohibited waters near Kinmen.
โRoutine Harassmentโ
On Wednesday, Taiwanโs coast guard said the Chinese coast guard had been carrying out such missions on average four times a month.
โAn analysis of their sailing patterns shows that they have become โroutine harassmentโ not โlaw enforcement inspectionsโ,โ Taiwanโs coast guard said in a statement.
โThis has not only affected the atmosphere across the Taiwan Strait but also undermines regional peace and stability.โ
(With inputs from Reuters)