Chinese Captain Fined $560,000 After Taiwan Subsea Cable Damage Case
A Taiwanese court has ordered a Chinese captain to pay about $560,000 to Chunghwa Telecom after his vessel damaged the Tai-Peng No. 3 subsea cable in the Taiwan Strait, NextShip reports. The ruling follows a three-year prison sentence issued in June 2025, underlining Taiwan’s tougher enforcement measures to protect critical offshore communications infrastructure.
The case involves the Hong Tai 58, a cargo vessel sailing under the Togo flag with an all-Chinese crew. In February 2025, the ship anchored near southwest Taiwan inside a clearly designated no-anchoring zone that protects submarine cable routes. Coast Guard units attempted several times to contact the vessel but received no reply.
Investigators later confirmed that captain Wang Yuliang ordered the anchor dropped despite chart warnings. The vessel then moved in a zigzag pattern. Soon after, Chunghwa Telecom reported a failure on the cable linking Taiwan with the Penghu Islands. Courts concluded the damage resulted from anchor dragging.
The captain denied intentional interference but acknowledged the incident could have resulted from negligence. He faced up to seven years in prison but received a three-year sentence. His appeal was rejected, while the other seven crew members were deported due to lack of evidence.
In a separate civil case, the court granted Chunghwa Telecom nearly $570,000 to cover repair operations, including specialized vessels and replacement materials.
