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Sweden urges Chinese ship to return for undersea cable probe: ‘We have no suspicions’

Sweden is asking a Chinese ship to return to Swedish waters to help investigate the latest breach of undersea fiber-optic cables in the Baltic Sea, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Tuesday, but insisted he was making no allegations.

Two undersea cables, one connecting Finland and Germany and the other connecting Sweden and Lithuania, were damaged in less than 24 hours on November 17-18, prompting German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to say it was sabotage.

Sweden, Germany and Lithuania all launched criminal investigations last week, trying to get into the Chinese giant Yi Peng 3, which left the Russian port of Ust-Luga on November 15. A Reuters analysis of MarineTraffic data showed that links of the vessel correspond to the time and place of the violation.

The ship now sits idle in international waters but within Denmark’s economic zone, closely watched by Danish naval vessels.

“On the Swedish side we have contacted the ship and we have contacted China and said we want the ship to go to Swedish waters,” said Kristersson at a press conference, adding that it will help facilitate the investigation.

“We are not making any allegations, but we want clarity on what happened.”

China’s Foreign Ministry said communication channels with Sweden and other relevant organizations were “uninterrupted,” when asked about Sweden’s request.

“I would like to emphasize China’s unwavering support and cooperation with all countries to maintain the safety of submarine cables and other infrastructure in accordance with international law,” ministry spokesman Mao Ning told reporters at a regular press conference on Wednesday.

Western intelligence officials from several countries have said they are confident the Chinese ship caused the break in both cables. But they expressed different views on whether these were accidents or intentional.

US Naval Intelligence is investigating whether both incidents were accidental, according to a US official, but foreign officials say the destruction is inevitable.

Most violations are accidents: expert

Katja Bego, a senior researcher at Chatham House, told Reuters that although between 150-200 such violations occur every year and the vast majority are accidents, political tensions in the region mean an investigation is warranted.

“Investigating incidents like these can take a long time, and even if the perpetrator is found as seen here, revealing his intention is incredibly difficult,” he said. “No destruction or danger can be ruled out yet.”

Russia last week said the proposals linked to the violation were “absurd.”

Kristersson said he hoped China would respond positively to the request to move the ship to Swedish waters. China’s Foreign Ministry said on Monday that Beijing had maintained “smooth communication” with all parties involved.

Last year, an undersea gas pipeline and several communication cables in the Baltic Sea were seriously damaged, and Finnish police said they believe the incident was caused by a Chinese ship that pulled an anchor.

But investigators have not said whether they believe the 2023 damage was accidental or intentional.


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