COPENHAGEN: Representatives from Sweden, Finland, Germany accompanied Chinese officials to board a China-registered ship that was potentially involved in undersea cable sabotage in the Baltic Sea last month.
The bulk carrier, Yi Peng 3, has been anchored just outside Denmark’s territorial waters for a month. Swedish and Finnish authorities have previously said the commercial vessel was of interest as incidents of data cable damages in the Baltic Sea are investigated.
Officials from the three countries and China will "collectively inspect the ship,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen told reporters on Thursday (Dec 19). He said his nation coordinated the move after two days of meetings between the four nations. Denmark also has an observer onboard, he said.
"There has been interest from the countries that have experienced damage to cables, and from Denmark because the ship has sailed in Danish waters, in getting to the bottom of this matter,” Lokke Rasmussen said.
Swedish police said in a separate statement that Chinese authorities are conducting the investigations aboard the vessel, and have invited Sweden onboard "in an observer role.”
A high-speed fiber optic cable connecting Finland and Germany was cut in mid-November by what was likely an external impact, while a nearby link between Lithuania and Sweden was also damaged. Yi Peng 3 was in the vicinity of two cables when it happened.
Sweden, Finland and Lithuania are working together to investigate the cause of the broken cables. However, the onboard investigations on Yi Peng 3 are not part of this probe, and no investigative measures will be carried out by Sweden boarding the ship Thursday, Swedish police said in a statement on Thursday. - Bloomberg
