Swedish authorities say they have not found evidence that a Chinese vessel deliberately cut Baltic Sea cables last year.
In a report on April 15th the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority (SHK) found that the Yi Peng 3 cut the two telecommunications cables after dragging its anchor off Sweden’s southeastern coast for one and a half days and 180 nautical miles.
But it said it was unable to conclude definitively that the vessel, owned by Chinese company Ningbo Yipeng Shipping Co, cut the cables on purpose.
The report said that the anchor might have come loose on its own, though the lack of damage to the ship and the length of time the anchor was dragged along the sea floor spoke against that alternative as well.
Sweden, Finland and Germany all launched investigations over the November 17th-18th incidents and Swedish police said they suspected “sabotage”.
China said in December it had provided information and documents for the investigation into the cutting of the cables.
The SHK said its assessment “does not prevent the Swedish Prosecution Authority from conducting a preliminary investigation into a suspected crime”.
Cables were in Swedish economic waters, one linking Finland and Germany and the other connecting Sweden to Lithuania.
Written by Yetao Gu, additional reporting by Reuters, DW, and The Local Sweden.
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