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

The captain of a freighter crewed by Chinese nationals denied Thursday his vessel had damaged a submarine communications cable between Taiwan proper and Penghu. The Togo-flagged Hong Tai is suspected of severing the Taiwan-Penghu No.

Taiwan’s coast guard detained a cargo ship and its Chinese crew on Tuesday and said it was investigating whether the vessel had deliberately cut an undersea telecoms cable in the latest possible breach of the island’s communication lines.