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.

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's coast guard detained a China-linked cargo ship Tuesday after an undersea cable to the Penghu Islands in the Taiwan Strait was disconnected.

Taiwan has detained a Togo-flagged vessel and its Chinese crew members on suspicion of sabotage after an undersea communications cable was cut. Newsweek reached out to Taiwan's coast guard with a request for comment by email.