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		</div><p>Taiwanese authorities are investigating a Chinese-crewed ship suspected of severing an undersea communications cable in the latest such incident adding to tensions between Taipei and Beijing.</p>
<p>Taiwan’s coast guard intercepted the Togolese-flagged cargo ship Hongtai in waters between its main island’s west coast and the outlying Penghu Islands early on Tuesday, according to a statement by the coast guard.</p>
<p>The coast guard had earlier been notified by telecommunications provider Chunghwa Telecom that one of its undersea cables had been severed six nautical miles north west of Jiangjun Fishing Harbour.</p>
<p>The Hongtai had been anchored in that same area since Saturday evening, the coast guard said.</p>
<p>From Saturday until early Tuesday, authorities in the nearby Anping Port in Tainan had sent signals to the vessel seven times but had received no response.</p>
<p>After the Chunghwa Telecom cable damage report, the coast guard approached the ship, which had begun to sail north-westward, and escorted it to Anping Port.</p>
<p>Taiwanese authorities said the ship’s entire eight-person crew were Chinese nationals and the case was being handled “in accordance with national security-level principles”.</p>
<p>“The cause of the underwater cable break, whether it was due to intentional sabotage or simply an accident, is still pending further investigation for clarification,” the coast guard said.</p>
<p>“The possibility of this being part of a grey-zone incursion by China cannot be ruled out,” it added.</p>
<p>Communications on the Penghu Islands were not disrupted because Chunghwa Telecom had successfully activated a back-up cable, the coast guard said.</p>
<p>This is the latest in a series of incidents in recent years in which undersea Taiwanese cables have been damaged — with Taipei in some instances blaming China.</p>
<p>Earlier this year, a Chinese cargo ship was suspected of severing a link north east of the island.</p>
<p>In February 2023, two undersea cables serving Taiwan’s Matsu Islands were severed, disrupting communications for weeks.</p>
<p>Taipei fears China might damage its underwater communications cables as part of attempts to blockade or seize the island, which Beijing claims as its own.</p>
<p>A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said during a regular press briefing on Tuesday that he was not aware of the issue and it did not pertain to diplomacy.</p>
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