NATO Naval Ships are Currently Surrounding a Chinese Vessel

NATO naval ships are currently surrounding a Chinese vessel believed to be involved in the sabotage of undersea internet cables. The ship is reported to have dragged its anchor over a distance of 100 miles. An investigation is in progress, but NATO lacks the authority to compel the ship to dock at any of its ports. Last week, two undersea cables linking Finland and Sweden to Central Europe were cut, raising suspicions of sabotage. According to the Wall Street Journal, investigators think that the Chinese bulk carrier, Yi Peng 3, which was transporting fertilizer from Russia to Egypt, intentionally dropped its anchor in Swedish waters, damaging the BCS East-West Interlink cable to Lithuania before doing the same to the C-Lion1 cable connecting Finland and Germany the next day. 

One of the investigators noted, "It’s highly improbable that the captain would not notice if his ship lost speed for hours due to dragging its anchor and cutting cables." It is also troubling that the crew allegedly switched off the ship's transponder during this time, making tracking its movements via the Automatic Identification System impossible. After impacting the second cable, the vessel reportedly moved in a zigzag pattern, lifted its anchor, and continued on its route.

Current maritime tracking data show the Yi Peng 3 in international waters between Denmark and Sweden, but it is currently halted and encircled by NATO forces as the investigation continues. Reports indicate that the ship's anchor and hull are damaged in a manner consistent with dragging and cable severing.

According to Reuters, discussions are ongoing between Swedish authorities and Ningbo Yipeng Shipping, the ship's owners, to return it to Swedish waters. Nevertheless, NATO cannot mandate its arrival at any port under international maritime law, given that the Yi Peng 3 is anchored in international waters.

Despite the vessel being Chinese-flagged and crewed, many Western officials do not believe China is involved. Instead, there are suspicions of Russian involvement in the sabotage. The Kremlin has dismissed these allegations as absurd and groundless, and pointed out that Western authorities remained silent when Ukraine damaged the Nord Stream gas pipeline in 2022.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign Ministry reiterated its commitment to collaborating with other nations to ensure the security of international submarine cables and similar infrastructure as per international law.

The Wall Street Journal reports that the Yi Peng 3 primarily operated in Chinese waters from 2019 until early 2024 but altered its course thereafter, making trips to Russian ports with various cargo including coal and fertilizer. While experts suggest this is not conclusive evidence of Russian involvement, they emphasize it deserves attention, particularly since this incident followed shortly after the U.S. allowed Ukraine to target sites within Russia using long-range munitions.