This is the latest in a series of incidents in recent years in which undersea Taiwanese cables have been damaged — with Taipei in some instances blaming China. Earlier this year, a Chinese cargo ship was suspected of severing a link northeast of the island.

The Coast Guard said it was investigating how the cable was severed and said it could not rule out the possibility of sabotage.

Taiwan coast guard officials boarded a Chinese-owned freighter and detained its crew following the cargo ship’s suspected role in severing an undersea cable near one of Taiwan’s outlying islands, Taipei authorities said Tuesday.