Sweden has formally asked Beijing to help clarify what happened when two data cables were damaged in the Baltic Sea where a China-flagged vessel had been sighted.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the request has been made as one of the cables, which connects Sweden and Lithuania, came back online after its operator Arelion said it had been repaired.
The second cable runs from Finland to Germany and is expected to be working again in the next couple of days following repair work by its Finnish owner Cinia.
Both cables were damaged in Swedish waters in less than 24 hours between 17 and 18 November.
The China-flagged bulk carrier Yi Peng 3, which is currently moored in international waters between Sweden and Denmark, was seen in the area at the time the cables were damaged.
Meanwhile, Sky News’ Data & Forensics unit has analysed marine tracking data that shows Yi Peng 3 left the Russian port of Ust-Luga on 15 November. It passed close to both internet cables around the time each was ruptured.
It comes as Swedish, Finnish and German authorities have launched investigations into the incident.
Western intelligence officials from multiple countries have said they are confident the Chinese ship caused the damage to both cables.
Finnish police believe the incident was caused by a Chinese ship dragging its anchor, while Germany’s defence minister said the damage appeared to have been caused by sabotage.
Mr Kristersson told a news conference on Thursday his government would like the Chinese vessel to move to Swedish waters to allow for an inspection.
“As I had said before, Sweden has expressed our desire for the ship to move to Swedish waters and we are in contact with China from Sweden,” he said.
“Today I can also tell you that in addition to that Sweden has also sent a formal request to China to cooperate with Swedish authorities in order to create clarity on what has happened.”
The Yi Peng 3 close to Denmark. Pic: Scanpix/Reuters
He was speaking after a security meeting of government leaders of the Baltic Sea region.
In the same news conference, Poland’s Prime Minister Donald Tusk expressed “full solidarity and full support” and trust in Sweden’s reliability as it acts in the interest of all countries in the Baltic region.
China’s foreign ministry said on Wednesday the communications channels with Sweden and other relevant parties were “unobstructed”, when asked about the Swedish request for co-operation.
Authorities in Beijing had earlier said they had no information about the ship but that China was ready to “maintain communication” with relevant parties.
They called for the vessel’s rights to normal navigation to be protected.
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Baltic Sea infrastructure damaged
It is not the first time such infrastructure has been damaged in the Baltic Sea.
Last year Sweden announced a cable running from its coast to Estonia had been “deliberately” ruptured.
In September 2022, three Nord Stream gas pipelines between Russia and Germany were destroyed seven months after Moscow invaded Ukraine.
No one took responsibility for the blasts – and while some Western officials initially blamed Moscow – US and German media reported pro-Ukrainian actors may have been responsible. The Kremlin denied being involved.