According to media reports, a Hong Kong cargo ship that had participated in the CCP's military exercises arrived at Taichung Port for unloading on December 3 and left smoothly on December 7, but has triggered multiple legislators' concerns at the Transportation Committee meeting on Monday. Concerns over the SCSC FORTUNE having carried special warfare boats hidden in the hold of the ship had legislators questioning Transportation Minister Chen Shi-kai (陳世凱) whether plans are in place to deal with this "Trojan horse" strategy.
Chen responded that the cargo ship docked legally per commercial port laws and an inspection unit inspected it, finding no abnormalities. He underscored that discussions with the national security agency will begin this week regarding whether commercial ships previously used in China’s military drills are unsuitable for docking in Taiwan. If required, the Transportation Ministry will amend any relevant laws.
Institute for National Defense and Security Research Director Su Tzu-yun (蘇紫雲) said in an interview on Monday that because the PLA has been using civilian freighters to conduct amphibious landing support drills since the 1990s, vigilance is necessary. Su specifically mentioned that the Chinese bulk carrier YI PENG 3 is suspected of dragging its anchor to sabotage undersea optic cables in the Baltic Sea connecting Sweden with Lithuania, and Finland with Germany. He warned that countries around the world should be more watchful of Chinese commercial ships.