Sweden has formally requested Chinas cooperation in investigating the suspected sabotage of two submarine internet cables in the Baltic Sea earlier this month. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson announced on Thursday that a request had been sent to Beijing, seeking clarity on the incidents. Sweden has also asked a Chinese ship, believed to be linked to the disruptions, to return to Swedish waters to assist in the investigation. The ship is currently anchored in international waters in the Kattegat strait between Denmark and Sweden.

The two severed cables include Arelion, connecting Finland and Germany, and C-Lion 1, linking Sweden to Lithuania. Both were cut within 24 hours on November 17 and 18. The incidents occurred just weeks after the United States issued warnings about potential threats to critical undersea infrastructure, with German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius stating that the damage was unlikely to have been accidental. Swedens National Unit against International and Organized Crime has opened a preliminary investigation into the suspected sabotage, while Finland’s National Bureau of Investigation is conducting a parallel probe.

Vessel tracking data from Kpler indicated that a Chinese bulk carrier, Yi Pen 3, had crossed the locations of the two damaged cables around the time of the disruptions. The ship had been sailing out of the Baltic Sea after a stop at the port of Vistino in Russia and had passed over several other undersea infrastructures in the Baltic, including pipelines, power lines, and another telecommunications cable under construction. During a press briefing on Wednesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said he was not aware of the situation, adding that Chinese ships adhere to relevant international laws and regulations.

Disclaimer: This Image is taken from Reuters.