Beijing admits Chinese ship accidentally damaged Baltic gas pipeline.

According to information published by SCMP on August 12, 2024, Beijing has acknowledged that a Hong Kong-flagged vessel owned by a Chinese company was responsible for damaging a crucial Baltic Sea gas pipeline linking Estonia and Finland last October. The incident, which also affected two telecommunications cables, was the result of an accidental anchor drag during a severe storm.
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The container ship Newnew Polar Bear. (Picture source: Wikipedia)

The incident, which occurred between October 7 and 8, involved the ship dragging its anchor along the seabed, causing significant damage to the 77-kilometer Balticconnector pipeline, a vital energy link for Finland. Finnish investigators have identified a "dragging trail" and anchor marks near the pipeline damage, supporting the theory of accidental damage.

This incident has further strained relations between China and Baltic states, already tense due to China's close ties with Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.

Nord Stream sabotage

One of the most significant examples of this is the sabotage of the Nord Stream pipelines in September 2022.

These pipelines, which transport natural gas from Russia to Europe, were damaged by powerful underwater explosions, leading to significant gas leaks.

The incident occurred in the Baltic Sea, a region already fraught with geopolitical tensions due to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The Nord Stream sabotage was not just an isolated act of vandalism; it was widely interpreted as a strategic move aimed at destabilizing European energy supplies and creating further uncertainty in the region.

The Nord Stream attacks illustrated the extreme vulnerability of seabed infrastructure. The explosions were suspected to have been carried out using sophisticated underwater explosives, which were likely deployed by a state actor or a highly capable non-state entity.