Chinese Ship Captain Jailed in Taiwan Over Damaged Undersea Cable

Intermediate | June 19, 2025

✨ Read the article aloud on your own or repeat each paragraph after your tutor.

What Happened?

A Court Decision in Taiwan

A court in Taiwan has put a Chinese ship captain jailed in Taiwan in prison for three years. Why? Because they found him guilty of intentionally breaking an important internet cable that’s under the sea near Taiwan.

Who Was Involved?

This incident happened a few months ago, in February 2025. Captain Wang commanded a cargo ship named the Hong Tai 58, which sails under the flag of Togo.

What Went Wrong?

Taiwanese officials reported that the ship’s crew dropped the anchor in a restricted coastal zone. Authorities placed clear warning signs around this area to prevent ships from anchoring there because important underwater cables run through it.

Why the Chinese Ship Captain Jailed in Taiwan Case Matters

Court Findings

During the court case in the city of Tainan, the judge said Captain Wang didn’t damage the cable by accident. The court believed he deliberately chose to anchor in that forbidden spot and let the ship move around. This caused the anchor to drag along the bottom of the sea, breaking the cable. Captain Wang said it was just a mistake, not intentional damage, but the court didn’t agree. Reports say that Taiwan’s court system has, for the first time, declared someone guilty of this specific crime.

Financial and Communication Impact

Breaking an undersea cable can cause a lot of problems! The main phone and internet company in Taiwan, Chunghwa Telecom, had to pay a lot of money to fix the cable. The repairs cost over NT\$17 million, which is more than half a million US dollars! This damage also caused disruptions to communication services. Taiwan has noticed more incidents of damaged sea cables this year, which is a worrying trend.

Political Implications

This news also involves the relationship between Taiwan and China. Taiwan officials are concerned about these cable incidents. China’s government, however, said that damaging sea cables is a common type of accident and that Taiwan is just making it a big political issue to criticize China. The police investigated the other crew members who were on the ship with Captain Wang, but they didn’t find enough evidence to charge them. As a result, they sent those crew members back to China.

Vocabulary

Jailed (verb): Put into prison.
Example: The police arrested the suspect, and the court later jailed him.
Undersea cables (noun phrase): Long cables that lie on the bottom of the ocean, often used for carrying internet and telephone signals.
Example: Most of the world’s internet traffic travels through undersea cables.
Sentenced (verb): Declared the punishment decided for a criminal.
Example: The judge sentenced her to five years in prison.
Intentionally (adverb): On purpose; done with a plan or aim.
Example: He didn’t drop the glass intentionally; it was an accident.
Damaging (verb): Causing harm to something.
Example: Smoking is damaging to your health.
Freighter (noun): A large ship used for carrying goods.
Example: The port was full of freighter ships loading and unloading cargo.
Restricted area (noun phrase): An area that people are not allowed to enter, usually for security or safety reasons.
Example: Access to the military base is a restricted area.
Negligence (noun): Failure to take proper care when doing something, resulting in damage or injury.
Example: His failure to check the brakes was an act of negligence.
Disruption (noun): A disturbance or problem that interrupts an event, activity, or process.
Example: Bad weather caused a disruption to the flight schedule.
Politicizing (verb): Making something into a political issue, often controversially.
Example: Some argue that the debate around climate change is being politicized.

Discussion Questions (About the Article)

What crime was the Chinese ship captain found guilty of in Taiwan?
What was the name and registration country of the ship involved?
According to the court, how did Captain Wang cause the damage to the cable?
What was Captain Wang’s explanation for the incident?
How did the damaged cable impact Chunghwa Telecom financially?

Discussion Questions (About the Topic)

Why are undersea telecommunications cables considered critical infrastructure?
What are some natural causes that could damage undersea cables?
How might losing access to an undersea cable affect a country’s economy?
What kind of technology is used to repair damaged undersea cables?
Do you think countries should work together to protect undersea cables, or is it each country’s own responsibility?

Related Idiom

Pay the price
Meaning: To suffer the undesirable consequences of an action.
Example: By anchoring in the forbidden zone, the captain had to pay the price with a three-year jail sentence.

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*This article was inspired by: *Reuters, June 12, 2025