Xiju, Taiwan

Xiju, Taiwan: Submarine Cable Landing Point

Xiju is a landing point in Taiwan that serves as a terminus for submarine cable connections within Taiwan's island and outlying territory network. Two submarine cables land at Xiju, connecting it to other parts of Taiwan and supporting intra-national connectivity across the country's dispersed island geography. The cables landing here form part of the domestic cable infrastructure that links Taiwan's main island with its outlying islands and territories.

Both cables landing at Xiju operate entirely within Taiwan, making this landing point a node in the country's internal submarine cable network rather than an intercontinental or international corridor. The Taiwan Penghu Kinmen Matsu No.3 and Taiwan-Matsu No.4 cables together represent a pairing of an established domestic link and a forthcoming addition to that same intra-Taiwan corridor.

Cables Landing at Xiju

Taiwan Penghu Kinmen Matsu No.3 (TPKM3) is a 510-kilometre submarine cable with a Ready for Service date of 2013, currently in draft status. It connects landing points entirely within Taiwan, linking Xiju to other Taiwanese locations along a route that spans several of the country's island groupings. As its name suggests, the cable serves the Penghu, Kinmen, and Matsu island groups alongside Taiwan's main island.

Taiwan-Matsu No.4 is a 300-kilometre submarine cable with a Ready for Service date of 2026, currently in draft status. Like TPKM3, it connects locations entirely within Taiwan, and its name indicates a focus on the Matsu island group. At 300 kilometres, it is shorter than TPKM3 and represents a newer addition to the intra-Taiwan domestic cable network serving the Xiju landing point.

Regional Context

Among Taiwan's 21 landing points, Xiju hosts 2 submarine cables, placing it in the same tier as Dawu, Fangshan, and Huxi Township, each of which also serves 2 cables. This positions Xiju well below the larger hubs of Toucheng (9 cables) and Tanshui (8 cables), and slightly behind Dongyin, which hosts 3 cables. Xiju's two cables are both domestic in scope, distinguishing it from landing points that serve international or intercontinental routes.

Network Role

Xiju functions as a dual-cable terminus within Taiwan's internal submarine cable network. Both cables landing here — TPKM3 and Taiwan-Matsu No.4 — connect exclusively to other Taiwanese locations, meaning that Xiju's role is to support domestic inter-island connectivity rather than international data transit. The arrival of Taiwan-Matsu No.4 in 2026 will add a second active cable to a landing point that currently depends on a single operational link via TPKM3.

Within the broader Taiwanese submarine cable graph, Xiju represents a specialised node oriented toward the country's outlying island territories. Its position as a landing point with two intra-Taiwan cables underscores the importance Taiwan places on maintaining redundant submarine connections to its more remote island communities.