Sweden’s foreign minister said China had rejected prosecutors’ request to investigate Chinese ships linked to two severed Baltic cables.

China says it has provided information and documents for a public investigation into the severing of two undersea cables in the Baltic Sea, but Sweden claims Beijing has not been sufficiently transparent in the case.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Mao Ning told a news conference in Beijing on Monday that China had invited Germany, Sweden, Finland and Denmark to participate in and complete the investigation.

Two telecommunications segments cable cut in Swedish territorial waters in November. Suspicion targets the Chinese freighter Yipeng 3, which, according to ship tracking websites, was sailing when the cable was cut.

She spoke about the incident when asked about a report in the Financial Times. The report said Sweden criticized China for refusing full access despite conducting a public investigation and allegedly barred Swedish prosecutors from boarding Yipeng 3 in connection with the cable leak.

Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmö Steinegaard said China ignored the government’s request that prosecutors be able to conduct preliminary investigations on the ship.

“We still demand that Swedish prosecutors and police be allowed to take certain investigative measures within the framework of the preliminary investigation on board,” Steinergaard told Reuters.

“We’ve made that very clear with China.”

Steinergaard said Sweden wanted to continue dialogue with China to make it possible for police and prosecutors to investigate the cable leak.

Mao responded, “In order to cooperate with the investigation, the ‘Yipeng 3’ has been suspended for a long time and to protect the physical and mental health of the crew. After a period of research, the shipowner company decided to resume sailing.” Conduct comprehensive assessment and consultation with relevant parties. “

She added that China has notified relevant countries in advance and is willing to maintain communication and cooperation.

On Thursday, Swedish, German and Finnish authorities were invited as observers to the China-led investigation.

Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said a Danish representative was also traveling because the country played a “mediating role” by hosting a meeting between the two countries earlier this week.

Prosecutor Henrik Soderman told AFP that no steps were taken in the Swedish judicial investigation, including questioning of the crew or technical investigations.

After damage to the Baltic cables – one connecting Finland to Germany and the other to Sweden and Lithuania – German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said it was clear that Assume this is an act of vandalism.

Investigators zeroed in on the Chinese ship, which left the Russian port of Ust-Luga on November 15, just two days before the cables were severed on November 17 and 18.

European officials also said they suspected sabotage related to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The Kremlin rejected the comments, calling them “ridiculous” and “ridiculous.”