Sweden's foreign minister says China has rejected a request for prosecutors to investigate a Chinese ship that was linked to two broken cables in the Baltic Sea.
China says it has publicly released information and investigative documents into the cutting of two submarine cables in the Baltic Sea, although Sweden says Beijing has not been transparent about the case.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning said at a press conference in Beijing on Monday that China had asked Germany, Sweden, Finland and Denmark to participate in the investigation.
Two telecom sectors the ropes were cut in November in Swedish waters. Suspicions were directed at the Chinese submarine Yi Peng 3, which according to tracking sites was running on cables at the time it was cut.
He spoke about the incident when asked about a report by the Financial Times that Sweden had criticized China for denying access despite public requests, and for preventing a Swedish prosecutor from boarding the Yi Peng 3 linked to the cable breach.
Sweden's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maria Malmer Stenergard, said that China did not listen to the government's request that the public prosecutor be able to conduct a preliminary investigation.
“Our request that Swedish prosecutors together with, the police, be allowed to take investigative measures based on the preliminary investigation,” Stenergard told Reuters.
“We have been very aware of this with China.”
Stenergard said Sweden hopes to continue negotiations with China with the aim of giving police and prosecutors a chance to investigate the cable breach.
In response, Mao said, “In order to cooperate with the investigation, the Yi Peng 3 was suspended for a long time, and to protect the health and mental health of the crew, the ship's own company decided to resume its voyage after a thorough review and consultation with the parties involved.”
He added that Beijing had identified all relevant countries and was ready to continue to engage in cooperation.
On Thursday, officials from Sweden, Germany and Finland were invited to join as observers of the Chinese-led investigation.
A Danish representative also accompanied the group as the country played a “leading role” in hosting international meetings earlier in the week, Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said.
Prosecutor Henrik Soderman told the AFP news agency that no action as part of the Swedish investigation had taken place, including questioning of employees or technical investigations.
Following the destruction of the Baltic Sea cables, one connecting Finland to Germany and the other connecting Sweden to Lithuania, German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said it was clear thinking that this was a waste.
Investigators boarded the Chinese cruise ship, which left the Russian port of Ust-Luga on November 15, just two days before the cables were cut on November 17 and 18.
European officials have also expressed suspicion that Russia has invaded Ukraine. The Kremlin has dismissed the comments as “absurd” and “ridiculous”.