Denmark says in talks with China over ship linked to cut undersea cables

Denmark, which has been monitoring a Chinese vessel anchored off its coast after two Baltic Sea cables were cut, said Monday it was in talks with China over the ship.

In a statement to AFP, Denmark’s foreign ministry said it was “in ongoing dialogue with the countries most involved in handling this case, including China.”

It added that it could not provide any details on the “diplomatic dialogue”.

Sections of two telecom cables were cut on November 17 and 18 in Swedish territorial waters of the Baltic Sea.

Swedish and Finnish police have opened investigations and European officials have said they suspect “sabotage” linked to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin has rejected the comments as “absurd” and “laughable”.

The Yi Peng 3 sailed over the cables around the time they were severed, according to ship tracking sites, though there is nothing to indicate that it was involved in the incidents.

The ship has remained anchored in the narrow Kattegat strait between Sweden and Denmark since Tuesday.

China’s foreign ministry has denied any responsibility in the matter.

“China is currently working with relevant parties including Denmark to maintain smooth communication through diplomatic channels,” a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said Friday.

Denmark’s navy said Wednesday it was shadowing the vessel, which is in international waters, limiting Danish authorities’ possibility to intervene.

Sweden’s coast guard joined it on Saturday.

Early on November 17, the Arelion cable running from the Swedish island of Gotland to Lithuania was damaged.

The next day, the C-Lion 1 submarine cable connecting Helsinki and the German port of Rostock was cut south of Sweden’s Oland island, around 700 kilometres (435 miles) from Helsinki.

Tensions have mounted around the Baltic Sea since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

In September 2022, a series of underwater blasts ruptured the Nord Stream pipelines that carried Russian gas to Europe, the cause of which has yet to be determined.

In October 2023, an undersea gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia was shut down after it was damaged by the anchor of a Chinese cargo ship.