Denmark has allowed representatives of Germany, Sweden, Finland and Denmark to board a Chinese bulk carrier at the center of an investigation into Baltic Sea cable violations, Denmark’s foreign minister said on Thursday.
yi peng 3 The ship is wanted in Sweden for questioning over the severing of two undersea fiber-optic cables in November and has been docked in nearby waters for a month while diplomats in Stockholm and Beijing discuss the case.
Investigators immediately focused on the ship, which had departed from the Russian port of Ust-Luga on November 15, and a Reuters analysis of marine traffic data showed that the ship’s coordinates were consistent with the time and location of the breach.
The Baltic Sea cables, one linking Finland and Germany and the other linking Sweden with Lithuania, were damaged on 17 and 18 November, prompting German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius to say he believed it was due to sabotage. Had happened.
Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said on Thursday that his country had organized a meeting earlier this week between representatives of Germany, Sweden, Finland and China, which helped break a months-long impasse .
“Our hope is that once the inspections by this group of people from four countries are complete, the ship will be able to sail toward its destination,” Loke Rasmussen said.
LSEG data shown yi peng 3 Anchored in the same location in the Kattegat Strait between Denmark and Sweden.
Swedish police said in a statement that they attended the ship only as observers while Chinese authorities investigated.
“In parallel, a preliminary investigation into sabotage is underway in connection with two cable breaks in the Baltic Sea,” police said.
Police said the actions taken on the ship on Thursday were not part of the Swedish-led preliminary investigation.
The violations occurred in Sweden’s exclusive economic zone and Swedish prosecutors are leading an investigation on suspicion of possible sabotage.
Western intelligence officials from several countries have said they believe both cables were cut by a Chinese ship. They have expressed differing opinions on whether these were accidents or may have been intentional.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson had requested the ship be returned to Sweden to assist in the investigation.
There was no immediate response from the Chinese Foreign Ministry outside business hours on Thursday.