The data cables in Matsu, which is located near the Chinese coast and belongs to Taiwan, were damaged last winter. According to the investigation, there were Chinese ships at the scene.
MATSU Taiwanese people will elect a new president and parliament in January. The campaign is now at its hottest in different parts of the country.
The topics vary by region. The main theme of the island of Matsu, located in the Taiwan Strait, arouses the interest of the Finnish visitor: the island is buzzing about a cable damage caused by a Chinese ship possibly intentionally at its anchor.
The Chinese ship and its anchor are the common denominators of the natural gas pipeline and data cable damage that occurred in the Gulf of Finland in October, as well as the Matsu cable break.
The Internet connection to Matsu was lost last February. Investigations by Taiwan revealed that two undersea data cables had been damaged.
It took two weeks to repair the cables, which caused significant financial losses to companies operating on the island.
Lesions occurred every six days. The first venue was about 50 kilometers from Matsu to the open sea, the second one nearby.
According to the investigation, there was a Chinese fishing vessel at the first damage site at the time of the incident, and a Chinese transport vessel at the latter. At least the fishing boat had also dropped anchor.
China has not responded
asked a high-ranking Taiwan security official if the damage could be damage.
The official, who remains anonymous, replied that in principle they could. Such accidents can happen in connection with net fishing.
However, doubts are raised by the fact that both Chinese ships happened to move relatively precisely above the submarine cables. The sea area between Taiwan and China is vast.
Taiwan’s government does not seem to believe in inadvertence, as it has demanded an explanation from China about the ships and their movements. So far, China has made no move to clarify the matter.
Taiwan’s position hinders cooperation
One representative from Matsu will be elected to the Taiwan Parliament in January. Pre-favourite, candidate of the Democratic Progressive Party DPP Li Wen shakes his head when asked about the possible inadvertence of the damage.
– It is almost impossible to be certain about this. It is better for us to look ahead and be prepared for something similar to happen in the future, he says.
Matsu belongs to Liang Jiang County, whose head Wang Chung-ming is on the same lines as Lii.
– We cannot find enough evidence on our own. All we know is that the Chinese ships were there. Beyond that, we can only speculate, Wang tells .
The investigation is complicated by the fact that Taiwan does not belong to the organizations responsible for the submarine cables in Southeast Asia. China and a few other countries do not accept Taiwan as a member because Taiwan’s independence is disputed. Only 13 countries in the world have diplomatic relations with Taiwan.
– Tracking the ships and doing the investigation on your own is very expensive, Wang reminds.
“Making internet connections safer”
Matsu is a group of islands with 14,000 inhabitants. It is located in the Taiwan Strait, which is considered one of the most dangerous sea areas in the world. On a clear day, you can see 12 kilometers to the Chinese coast from the mountains that rise suddenly from the sea.
Until the 1990s, Matsu was a stronghold of Taiwan’s armed forces. The tunnels and bunkers open to tourists tell of that time.
Attempts have been made to develop tourism alongside the traditional livelihoods of fishing and handicrafts.
Matsu gets electricity from its own coal plant and water from its own sources, but data connections come from the main island of Taiwan.
Lii, the pre-election favorite, insists on securing connections in his campaign.
– Regardless of who or what caused the damage, Taiwan’s internet connections must be made more secure. We need more submarine cables and efficient backup systems based on microwaves and satellites, says Lii.