China has admitted that a Chinese-owned vessel destroyed an important gas pipeline from Finland to Estonia in the Baltic Sea.
But it claims the incident in October 2022 was accidental and that it was caused by a strong storm, according to a report by the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
The BalticConnector pipeline was ripped apart by a large anchor, which Finnish police said was from a Hong Kong-flagged container vessel named ‘NewNew Polar Bear’.
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Estonia and Finnish authorities conducted a joint criminal inquiry into the incident and urged Beijing to respond to their requests for information on the ship.
Chinese authorities conducted an investigation and recently shared the results with the European countries, but the report “is not considered official evidence in the investigations,” the SCMP said in its report on Monday (August 12).
Finnish police said late last year that while the Hong Kong vessel was the ‘prime suspect’ in damaging the pipeline, it was too early to tell if the incident was an accident or a deliberate act.
Presidents discussed pipeline drama
Finland’s president Sauli Niinisto said in January that he held constructive talks with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping over the damage done last October to the gas pipeline from Finland to Estonia.
A large anchor, believed to belong to the Chinese vessel, was found near the pipeline, and the investigators said the pipe was likely broken as the anchor was dragged across the sea bed.
The BalticConnector pipeline is situated between two Nord Stream 1 pipelines. It was dragged 100 metres from where it was laid, and 4 kilometres of the pipeline is now dislocated, according to a local report.
Divers found an anchor next to the pipeline and paint from the anchor was found on the broken pipeline. The anchor is believed to be from ‘Newnew Polar Bear’, as the vessel was photographed with a missing anchor in October and was known to be in the area when the pipeline was damaged.
Finland said in November that Beijing had promised full cooperation in the pipeline probe.
“The presidents noted the constructive dialogue between the countries regarding the case of the BalticConnector pipeline,” the Finnish president’s office said in a statement on Wednesday, following talks with Xi.
Chinese state media also reported that the two presidents had spoken, but did not elaborate.
Niinisto and Xi also discussed other bilateral relations, as well as global political issues, Finland said.
- Jim Pollard with Reuters
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