Beijing, August 12 (FFN) – China has reportedly admitted that a pipeline in the Baltic Sea between Finland and Estonia was “accidentally” damaged by a ship sailing under the Hong Kong flag last year. The report comes from the Business Times, citing an article in the South China Morning Post.
In early October 2023, significant damage caused by human activity was discovered on the Balticconnector pipeline, which links Finland and Estonia. Repairs to the pipeline cost several million euros, and two undersea telecommunications cables between the two countries were also damaged.
According to the newspaper, Chinese authorities conducted an internal investigation, concluding that the incident was the result of a severe storm. The findings were sent to Finland and Estonia. However, an Estonian prosecutor’s office spokesperson stated that the internal findings of the Chinese authorities could not be used as evidence.
Finland and Estonia are continuing a joint investigation focusing on the container ship New Polar Bear, which was sailing under the Hong Kong flag at the time of the incident. The ship is registered to a Chinese company, New Shipping Line.
Authorities in both European countries have urged Beijing to respond to their urgent requests for information regarding the ship.
“The investigation is ongoing, and final conclusions about the causes of these incidents—whether they were due to technical malfunction, negligence, or deliberate action—will only be possible after all necessary investigative measures have been completed, which will take some time,” stated the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation (NBI).
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not responded to requests for comment.
According to European investigators, the cargo ship New Polar Bear, en route to St. Petersburg, was dragging a loose anchor along the seabed, which damaged the pipeline and two telecommunications cables between Finland and Estonia during the night of October 7 or the morning of October 8, 2023.
Investigators and experts found a trail on the seabed leading to the damaged pipeline. The Finnish Navy later recovered a heavy six-ton anchor from the seabed, which bore “marks indicating contact with the pipeline.”
In November last year, Finnish authorities stated that Beijing had committed to fully cooperate in the investigation.
The incident occurred more than a year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, with China continuing to maintain close ties with Moscow, leading to a deterioration in its relations with the European Union.
The damage to the pipeline has raised further concerns about the vulnerability of underwater infrastructure. It followed the destruction of the Nord Stream 1 and 2 pipelines, which connected Russia and Germany, in September 2022 after a series of unexplained explosions.
