Three countries have launched criminal investigations into a Chinese bulk carrier thought to have damaged undersea communications cables in the Baltic Sea.
Fiber-optic cables linking Germany to Finland and Lithuania to Sweden were damaged Nov. 17-18. Analysis of ship tracking data by news organizations placed the bulk vessel Yi Peng in the area at that time.
Last week Germany, Lithuania and Sweden opened criminal investigations into the Hong Kong-flagged ship, which departed the Russian port of Ust-Luga on Nov. 15.
Naval and coast guard vessels from Sweden, Germany and Denmark have at different times surrounded the 735-foot vessel, which is idling in international waters but within the Danish exclusive economic zone.
At a regular news briefing Wednesday, a spokesman for China expressed support for cooperation with other countries to ensure the security of international undersea cables.
As many as 200 such infrastructure breaches occur each year, nearly all by accident.
The U.S. Navy termed both incidents as accidents, the report said, but other countries would not rule out intent given heightened geopolitical tensions.
Swedish officials said they have been in contact with the ship and China, and have asked the vessel to return to Swedish waters as part of the investigation, Reuters reported.
Denmark is also in talks with China, according to French media.
In October 2023, the Chinese container ship Newnew Polar Bear damaged a Baltic gas pipeline and cables. It wasn’t until August of this year that China acknowledged the vessel had caused the damage, likely from a dragging anchor.
Find more articles by Stuart Chirls here.
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