China's government said on Wednesday that Taiwan was "manipulating" possible Chinese involvement in the latest severing of an undersea communications cable, saying the island was casting aspersions before the facts were clear.

Taiwan is investigating a Chinese-crewed ship suspected of severing an undersea cable which authorities say could be a "grey-zone incursion" by Beijing. The Togolese-flagged cargo ship Hongtai was intercepted in waters between Taiwan's main island and the Penghu Islands,

Taiwan's coastguard on Tuesday said that it has detained a cargo ship and its Chinese crew on suspicion of deliberately sabotaging an undersea communication cable, local media reported. Earlier today a Togolese-registered vessel was boarded and its Chinese crew detained by Taiwanese authorities after the country's Coast Guard received a report that the undersea cable had been severed,