Sweden Seeks China's Cooperation in Baltic Submarine Cable Sabotage Probe

Sweden has formally requested China's assistance in investigating the suspected sabotage of two submarine internet cables in the Baltic Sea. A Chinese ship has been linked to the incident. Swedish and Finnish authorities have initiated probes following the cable disruptions, which occurred within hours of each other.

Sweden has formally reached out to China, requesting its cooperation in an investigation into suspected sabotage that affected two submarine internet cables in the Baltic Sea earlier this month. CNN reported that tracking data had associated a Chinese vessel with these disruptions.

At a news conference on Thursday, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson confirmed the country's formal request for Chinese collaboration to Swedish authorities to clarify the situation. Additionally, Sweden has asked Chinese authorities to direct the ship into Swedish waters to assist with the investigation. The vessel is currently anchored in international waters in the Kattegat strait between Denmark and Sweden.

The disruptions involved two cables, one named Arelion, connecting Finland and Germany, and the other named C-Lion 1, linking Sweden with Lithuania. These incidents followed warnings from the US about potential Russian targets on critical undersea infrastructure. The Swedish Prosecution Authority and Finland's National Bureau of Investigation have announced preliminary investigations into the matter.

Vessel tracking data from Kpler indicated that a Chinese bulk carrier, Yi Peng 3, crossed the undersea communication cables around the time they were damaged. The ship was traveling from the port of Vistino in Russia through the Baltic Sea, passing over other critical infrastructure, including gas and oil pipelines.

Responding to inquiries about the vessel, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian stated at a press briefing on Wednesday that he was unaware of the situation, emphasizing that Chinese ships comply with relevant international laws and regulations.

(With inputs from agencies.)