China vows cooperation amid Baltic Sea telecom cable incident
On Friday, 29th November, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its willingness to cooperate with relevant countries to resolve the issue of the destruction of two telecommunications cables at the bottom of the Baltic Sea. This declaration is in response to a request from the Swedish government regarding the matter.
29 November 2024 10:09
On Friday, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced its readiness to cooperate with relevant countries to clarify the incidents involving damage to the submarine telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea, as the Polish Press Agency reported.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that "China and Sweden are maintaining close communication on this issue." This announcement was a response to the Swedish authorities' official request for cooperation in investigating the damage to two cables, as mentioned by Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Thursday.
The damages occurred on the 17th and 18th of November in the Swedish economic zone, southeast of the island of Gotland and south of the island of Öland. Two submarine telecommunications cables were destroyed: one connecting Lithuania with Sweden and the other connecting Finland with Germany.
China is ready to cooperate
Swedish media reported that suspicions in the case may involve the crew of the Chinese cargo ship Yi Peng 3, which left a Russian oil port. The ship is currently in international waters in the Kattegat Strait and is being monitored by the Danish Navy and the Swedish Coast Guard.
Mao Ning did not answer questions regarding the latest findings on the matter. However, China emphasises its readiness to collaborate with other countries to establish the facts related to the incident. It remains unclear what the final course of action will be for China and the other involved countries.
