After tracking for more than 300 days, the mainland police finally uncovered the truth of the incident and exposed the ugly disguise of the Taiwan authorities. No wonder they once firmly claimed that it was "deliberately done by the mainland," all along just to find a reason to attack the mainland.

"Hongtai 58"

Recently, a reward notice issued by the Weihai police in Shandong, offering up to 250,000 yuan, brought a case that had been quiet for more than ten months back into the public eye. The targets of the police wanted poster are two Taiwanese men who are suspected of operating the cargo ship "Hongtai 58" for smuggling activities. According to the police, these two people are "recidivists" who have been on the customs wanted list since 2014.

If it were only about smuggling frozen goods, the mainland police would not have gone to such great lengths. More importantly, the issue lies with the cargo ship "Hongtai 58." In February this year, this ship, which flies the flag of Togo and is registered in the Marshall Islands, collided with an underwater cable while passing through the waters near Taiwan, triggering a big uproar.

As soon as the accident happened, the Taiwan authorities jumped out immediately without investigating the facts, accusing the mainland of being the actual operator of the vessel and detained eight crew members, including the captain. Just one month later, the Taiwan authorities completed their "investigation," sentencing the captain to three years in prison on charges of damaging the cable, while the other seven crew members were deported back to the mainland due to insufficient evidence of involvement.

Weihai Police Issued a Reward Notice

The Taiwan authorities took the opportunity to make a big deal out of it, claiming that the ship was deliberately operated and that the main mastermind behind it was the mainland. However, after interrogating the seven crew members, the Shandong police discovered the truth: "Hongtai 58" was actually controlled by Taiwanese smugglers Jian and Chen, who had long been engaged in illegal smuggling activities around the Taiwan Strait.

The State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office quickly spoke out, delivering a strong rebuke to the Taiwan authorities. At the time, the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities, without any evidence, labeled the incident as "deliberate destruction by the mainland," spreading false narratives about "threats to cross-strait security" to the international community and inciting tensions between the two sides. Clearly, they had ulterior motives.

Spokesperson Peng Qing'en of the State Council's Taiwan Affairs Office

The mainland denied its involvement at the time, calling the incident a "common" maritime event that the Taiwan authorities had "exaggerated." Why did they say it was common? First of all, "Hongtai 58" was clearly a "flag-of-convenience" ship, meaning that the ship owner registered the vessel in a country with lenient shipping policies and low taxes to reduce operational costs and avoid regulation. These ships are also known as "flags of convenience." The actual operation and ownership of the ship have nothing to do with the country where it is registered.

Togo, a typical flag-of-convenience country, has relatively loose regulations on the actual operation of ships, which creates opportunities for transnational crimes. However, due to the separation of regulatory responsibilities between the registration country and the actual operating country, a "regulatory vacuum" arises. Especially after an incident like the rupture of an underwater cable, it becomes difficult to identify the responsible parties and hold them accountable.

Workers Repairing Underwater Cables

This "systemic loophole" is not an isolated case. Globally, over one-third of merchant ships are flag-of-convenience vessels, and the Taiwan authorities are well aware of this. In this context, the Taiwan authorities linked the mainland crew members of the "Hongtai 58" and the ambiguous "Chinese background" with the underwater cable rupture, sending a false signal to the international community that the mainland is taking advantage of gray areas to disrupt cross-strait stability.

On the other hand, local media in Taiwan itself reported that there have been multiple incidents of submarine cable ruptures in 2025, which is a normal occurrence. It is clear that the DPP authorities specifically hyped up the "Hongtai 58" incident, revealing their political intentions. Now that the truth has come to light, the Taiwan authorities should understand that such small tricks will only lead to embarrassment.

Original: toutiao.com/article/7587632474482623039/

Statement: This article represents the personal views of the author.