Chinese authorities invited Swedish officers to observe an investigation into the potential involvement of a Chinese vessel in the severing of two Baltic Sea cables. Sweden has emphasized that it is making "no accusations" against Beijing.

Swedish police were invited aboard a Chinese vessel in the Baltic Sea on Thursday to observe an investigation being conducted by Beijing into two severed undersea telecom cables.

These cables – one connecting Finland and Germany, the other linking Sweden to Lithuania – were damaged in mid-November off the coast of Denmark, though they were in Swedish territorial waters.

The Chinese ship, Yi Peng 3, had been tracked sailing directly above the cables when they were cut, and it has remained anchored at the location since November 19.

Swedish authorities confirmed that the Chinese authorities had invited Swedish officials to observe the investigation, but clarified that the Swedish Police would not be conducting any investigative actions aboard the vessel. The Swedish Police Authority issued a statement that said, “Representatives of the Chinese authorities are conducting investigations aboard the vessel and have invited the Swedish authorities to take part in an observer role.” The statement also indicated that a “preliminary investigation into sabotage in connection with two cable breaks in the Baltic Sea is continuing,” but emphasized that the observations made on Thursday were not part of that ongoing inquiry.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson noted that Stockholm had requested China’s cooperation in the investigation at the end of November. However, he underscored that there was no “accusation” directed at China.

Meanwhile, other European officials, including German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius, have suggested that the severing of the cables may be linked to sabotage, possibly in connection with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin, however, has dismissed this notion as “laughable” and “absurd.”