China claims cooperation in Baltic Sea cable probe, Sweden says otherwise

Sweden’s foreign minister says China denied request for prosecutors to probe Chinese ship linked to two severed Baltic Sea cables.

China says it had provided information and documents for an open investigation into the severing of two Baltic Sea undersea cables, though Sweden alleges Beijing has not been adequately transparent in the case.

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning said at a news briefing in Beijing on Monday that China had invited Germany, Sweden, Finland and Denmark to participate in and complete the inquiry.

Sections of two telecom cables were cut in November in Swedish territorial waters. Suspicions were directed at the Chinese freighter vessel Yi Peng 3, which according to ship tracking sites had sailed over the cables around the time they were cut.

She spoke about the incident when asked about a Financial Times report that Sweden had criticised China for refusing full access despite an open inquiry, and for allegedly barring a Swedish prosecutor from boarding the Yi Peng 3 linked to the cable breach.

Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said China had not heeded the government’s request for the prosecutor to be able to conduct the preliminary investigation on board.

“Our request that Swedish prosecutors together with, among others, the police should be allowed to take certain investigative measures within the framework of the preliminary investigation on board remains,” Stenergard told the Reuters news agency.

“We have been very clear about this with China.”

Stenergard said Sweden hoped to continue its dialogue with China with the aim of giving the police and prosecutors the possibility to investigate the cable breaches.

In response, Mao said, “In order to cooperate with the investigation, the Yi Peng 3 was suspended for a long period of time, and to safeguard the physical and mental health of the crew, the shipowner company decided to resume its voyage after a comprehensive assessment and consultation with the parties concerned.”

She added that Beijing had notified all relevant countries in advance and was willing to maintain communication and cooperation.

On Thursday, authorities from Sweden, Germany and Finland were invited on board as observers for an investigation led by China.

A Danish representative also accompanied the group as the country had served a “facilitating role” by hosting meetings between the countries earlier in the week, its Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen had said.

Prosecutor Henrik Soderman told the AFP news agency that no measures as part of the Swedish judicial probe had been taken, including questioning crew members or technical investigations.

Following the damage to the Baltic Sea cables, one linking Finland and Germany and the other connecting Sweden to Lithuania, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said it was clear to assume this was sabotage.

Investigators zeroed in on the Chinese ship, which had left the Russian port of Ust-Luga on November 15, just two days before the cables were cut on November 17 and 18.

European officials have also stated that they suspect sabotage linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin has rejected the comments as “absurd” and “laughable”.