China claims cooperation in Baltic Sea cable probe, Sweden says otherwise
Al Jazeera
Sweden’s foreign minister says China denied request for prosecutors to probe Chinese ship linked to two severed Baltic Sea cables.
China says it had provided information and documents for an open investigation into the severing of two Baltic Sea undersea cables, though Sweden alleges Beijing has not been adequately transparent in the case.
Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Mao Ning said at a news briefing in Beijing on Monday that China had invited Germany, Sweden, Finland and Denmark to participate in and complete the inquiry.
Sections of two telecom cables were cut in November in Swedish territorial waters. Suspicions were directed at the Chinese freighter vessel Yi Peng 3, which according to ship tracking sites had sailed over the cables around the time they were cut.
She spoke about the incident when asked about a Financial Times report that Sweden had criticised China for refusing full access despite an open inquiry, and for allegedly barring a Swedish prosecutor from boarding the Yi Peng 3 linked to the cable breach.
Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said China had not heeded the government’s request for the prosecutor to be able to conduct the preliminary investigation on board.
