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Chinese ships have cut 2 undersea cables that supply the Matsu archipelago with internet. The islands are off the Chinese coast but belong to Taiwan.
Cargo ship in front of the Matsu main island of Nangan (symbol image)© REUTERS / ANN WANG
According to the AP news agency, on February 2, a fishing boat cut the first cable about 50 kilometers from the coast. The second cable was severed by a cargo ship on February 8th. Taiwan's largest telecommunications provider, Chunghwa Telecom, told the AP.
Cable already severed 27 times
The internet failure also poses a threat to national security. Experts therefore suspect that China cut the cables on purpose. According to Chunghwa Telecom, this has happened 27 times in the past 5 years.
Taiwan has not yet publicly accused China. The fishing boat that cut the first cable on February 2 was pursued by Taiwan's Coast Guard but made it across the border into China.
Expensive repair
The submarine cables are between 20 and 30 millimeters wide and have steel armor in shallow waters. Despite this, they can be relatively easily destroyed by anchors and fishing boats with steel nets.
It should take until April 20th for the cables to be repaired. Special ships are required for this. The cost of the repair is said to be 925,000 euros (30 million Taiwanese dollars).
