Taiwan will enhance surveillance and inspection of foreign-flagged ships after a Chinese-linked cargo vessel allegedly damaged an undersea communication cable.

Authorities plan to board suspicious vessels near sensitive areas and strengthen monitoring of undersea cables and landing points.

Taiwan’s National Security Bureau emphasized international cooperation with the U.S. and Europe to address cable sabotage risks.

The incident adds to concerns over China’s “gray zone” tactics, such as balloon overflights and sand dredging, aimed at pressuring Taiwan without direct confrontation, NBC News has reported.

Taiwan likened the situation to undersea cable damage seen in the Baltic Sea during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Written by B.C. Begley