China, Taiwan linked by undersea cable

BEIJING, Jan. 18 (UPI) -- A Chinese telecommunications provider says the first undersea fiber-optic cable linking the Chinese mainland and Taiwan has been successfully laid.

The cable will connect Fuzhou, capital of east China's Fujian province, and the city of Danshuei in Taiwan, state-owned China Unicom said Friday.

The 160-mile cable is a collaborative effort initiated by Chinese mainland telecom companies with Taiwan-based telecoms, China's state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

The cable project, begun Nov. 6, 2012, will enhance cross-strait communication and free China and Taiwan from having to rely on international fiber-optic cables, China Unicom board chairman Chang Xiaobing said.