China on Wednesday said that it was unaware of the possible involvement of a Chinese ship in the damage reported on two communication cables in the Baltic Sea.
A report by the Financial Times claimed the Chinese freighter Yi Peng 3 was in the vicinity of the cables at the time of the damage.
However, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian stated on Wednesday, “China is not aware of the situation,” and reiterated the country’s commitment to maritime law and the protection of undersea infrastructure.
The cables, which connect Finland to Germany and Sweden to Lithuania, were reportedly damaged earlier this week. Finnish telecommunications firm Cinia suggested the damage might have been caused by external forces, such as an anchor or bottom trawling equipment.
Swedish Civil Defence Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin highlighted unusual movements by an unidentified ship coinciding with the cable damage. Media reports indicated the Yi Peng 3’s automatic identification system (AIS) signal disappeared while it was near the damaged area.
Naval vessels from NATO countries, including the Danish Navy, reportedly tracked the ship following the incident. Danish military ships were seen in the Kattegat sea area near Yi Peng 3, which was anchored as of Wednesday morning. However, it remains unclear whether the ship was detained or stopped for other reasons.
Swedish authorities have launched an investigation, while German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius suggested the incident might have been an act of sabotage. China continues to emphasize its adherence to international maritime laws and has pledged to cooperate if required.
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