For three weeks, German, Danish, and Swedish authorities have monitored the Chinese ship “Yi Peng 3,” which Sweden has now left behind.
The vessel remains anchored in Kattegat, within Denmark’s economic zone but outside territorial waters. Mattias Lindholm, spokesperson for the Swedish Coast Guard, announced that the coast guard will now monitor the Chinese ship in cooperation with Danish and German authorities using technical surveillance.
“We assess that, given the situation has remained unchanged for an extended period, we need to allocate our ship and crew to other tasks,” Lindholm stated.
Days before the “Yi Peng 3” dropped anchor in Kattegat, the vessel passed two data cables in the Baltic Sea and caused damage to them. Additionally, the ship reportedly turned off its radio signal for nearly eight hours while navigating the area, as data from Marine Traffic indicates.
Over the past three weeks, the Danish Defense has circled the Chinese vessel, joined by the Swedish Coast Guard and German authorities. As of Tuesday afternoon, a Danish Defense ship and a German coast guard vessel continue to position themselves near the “Yi Peng 3.”
Swedish investigation
Swedish police are investigating the incidents of cable damage as potential sabotage. The damages occurred on November 17, affecting cables running between Sweden and Lithuania, as well as between Finland and Germany. Both areas of damage lie within Sweden’s economic zone in the Baltic Sea.
Swedish police’s National Operations Department will continue the investigation. While the vessel is in Denmark’s economic zone, it remains outside Danish territorial waters, meaning that the flag state—China—holds jurisdiction.
Mao Ning, spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, stated at the end of November that China is willing to cooperate with relevant countries to uncover what transpired. However, the extent of China’s willingness to engage in this cooperation remains unclear.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Defense Command reported no new updates regarding the Danish Defense’s presence near the vessel.
Source: Ekstra Bladet
