Chinese Ship Damages Baltic Pipeline

Estonian officials have reported that China has not responded to a legal aid request from NATO allies regarding the investigation into damage sustained by an undersea pipeline connecting Finland and Estonia last year. Kairi Küngas, head of the public relations department at the Estonian prosecutor’s office, confirmed that the request aimed to gather evidence from a Chinese-owned vessel linked to the incident. Despite acknowledging the ship's involvement, Chinese authorities have yet to provide any response to the request. According to reports, Chinese officials have described the incident as unintentional, attributing the damage to adverse weather conditions during a strong storm. The South China Morning Post indicated that an internal investigation was conducted by Chinese authorities, which was communicated to European governments. However, skepticism remains among senior European officials regarding the accidental nature of the damage, particularly due to the extensive dragging trail of an anchor discovered near the pipeline. Finnish European Affairs Minister Anders Adlercreutz expressed doubts about the likelihood of the damage being accidental, suggesting that a vessel would likely notice if it were dragging an anchor for hundreds of kilometers. The incident has raised concerns about the security of undersea infrastructure, especially following the destruction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in 2022, which has been linked to geopolitical tensions. Estonian and Finnish officials have reiterated the necessity for legal assistance from China, as the information reportedly shared by Chinese authorities cannot be utilized as evidence in ongoing criminal investigations in Estonia.