Taipei [Taiwan], December 25 : The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) accused China of engaging in "transnational suppression and political manipulation" after a Chinese public security agency claimed that Taiwanese nationals were responsible for a smuggling scheme involving a vessel crewed by Chinese that was damaged undersea cables earlier this year, according to the report from Taipei Times.
In June, a Taiwanese court sentenced the Chinese captain of the Togo-registered ship Hong Tai 58 to three years in prison after determining he was guilty of deliberately damaging subsea cables off Taiwan in February, which raised concerns among officials.
The public security bureau in Weihai, located in China's Shandong Province, stated that its investigation into the incident revealed that two Taiwanese individuals orchestrated a multi-vessel operation that was unlawfully transporting frozen goods into China. These findings from Chinese authorities followed interviews with seven crew members from the Hong Tai 58, as reported by Taipei Times.
The Weihai public security bureau announced a reward of up to 250,000 yuan (US$35,370) for any information or assistance related to the two Taiwanese individuals, surnamed Chien and Chen, mentioning that they have been on a wanted list by a Chinese customs office since 2014, as cited by the Taipei Times report.
The MAC dismissed the Chinese findings in a statement released yesterday.
"Concerning the incident involving the Togolese-flagged Hong Tai 58 cargo vessel, which caused damage to the third submarine cable connecting Taiwan with the offshore islands of Kinmen and Matsu, it has been confirmed that the Chinese captain of the ship intentionally harmed the undersea cable," the council stated.
"The criminal act and supporting evidence have been clearly established. The case has been thoroughly investigated and concluded by Taiwan's judicial authorities, and the defendant has received a three-year prison sentence," the council reported, according to the Taipei Times.
"The Chinese Communist Party [CCP] lacks jurisdiction over Taiwan. If the CCP's Ministry of Public Security possesses solid evidence, it can share that evidence with Taiwan's law enforcement agencies to collaborate in preventing cross-strait crimes. However, without concrete evidence, publicly naming individuals and offering rewards is not a civilised method; it merely represents another instance of transnational suppression and political manipulation," the council remarked, as noted by the Taipei Times report.
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