Swedish police said on Thursday that they had boarded the ship “Yi Peng 3” at the invitation of Chinese authorities. The ship is at the center of suspicion in November when two fiber-optic cables were broken in the Baltic Sea.
A Chinese cargo ship has been summoned for questioning in Sweden, as it is suspected of being involved in an underwater cable breakage incident in November. The ship has been docked in Kattgat Strait between Sweden and Denmark for the past one month. Meanwhile, diplomatic talks between Stockholm and Beijing continue.
The ship, which left the Russian port of Ust-Luga on November 15, was targeted. A study of marine traffic data by Reuters found that records of the ship’s location match the time and location of the cable break.
Swedish police explained that they were only present on board the “Yi Peng 3” as observers and the investigation was carried out by Chinese authorities. “Our work continues with a preliminary investigation into suspected sabotage related to two cable breaks in the Baltic Sea,” a police statement said.
Danish authorities assisted Sweden in gaining access to the ship. The ship is currently anchored in the Kattgat Straits of Sweden and Denmark.
One of the fiber optic cables across the Baltic Sea connects Finland and Germany, while the other connects Sweden and Lithuania. Both these cables were severed on November 17 and 18. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius suspected that this was sabotage.
Because the cable break occurred in Sweden’s exclusive economic zone, Swedish public prosecutors are leading the investigation into the case. In this regard, many intelligence officials in western countries said that they believe that the Chinese ship was involved in the breakdown of both the cables. However, there is disagreement over whether it was an accident or a deliberate act of vandalism.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristerson has called for the ship to return to Sweden and cooperate with the investigation.
There was no response from the Chinese Foreign Ministry outside office hours on Thursday.
This has become a source of tension at the international level. The threat of sabotage to vital underwater cables is not limited to the Baltic Sea, but can have far-reaching implications for global security and communication.