Sweden formally asks China to cooperate in investigation over disruption of Baltic Sea cables

Stockholm [Sweden], December 1: Sweden has formally requested China to cooperate
with a probe into suspected sabotage over the sudden disruption of two submarine
internet cables in the Baltic Sea earlier this month, as tracking data linked a Chinese
ship to the incidents, CNN reported.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said,
"Sweden has sent a formal request to China to cooperate with Swedish authorities in
order to create clarity on what has happened," CNN reported.
He stated that Sweden has asked Chinese authorities to send the ship to Swedish
waters to aid its investigation. It is pertinent to mention here that the vessel is currently
anchored in international waters in the Kattegat strait between Denmark and Sweden.
The two cables - one named Arelion, which connects Finland and Germany, and the
other named C-Lion 1 linking Sweden to Lithuania were cut within 24 hours of each
other November 17 and 18.
The incident took place just weeks after the US warned that Russia was likely to target
critical undersea infrastructure. At the time, German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius
had stated that "no one believes that the cables were accidentally damaged," CNN
reported.
Last week, the Swedish Prosecution Authority announced that the country's National
Unit against International and Organized Crime had initiated a preliminary probe into
suspected sabotage over the cut cables. Moreover, Finland's National Bureau of
Investigation announced that it had initiated a probe.
Vessel tracking data from Kpler has revealed that a Chinese bulk carrier had crossed the
two undersea communications cables around the time when each of the cable was
reported cut.
The vessel, named Yi Pen 3, was sailing out of the Baltic Sea after a stop in the port of
Vistino, Russia. According to the tracking data, the vessel crossed other undersea
infrastructure in the Baltic, including four gas and oil pipelines, a power line and another
telecommunications cable which was under construction, according to CNN report.
When asked regarding the ship during the press briefing on Wednesday, Chinese foreign
ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said he was "not aware of the situation" and added that
Chinese ships "abide by relevant laws and regulations."
Source: Times of Oman