Danish military monitors a Chinese-flagged bulk carrier after undersea data cables were ruptured

COPENHAGEN, Denmark -- The Danish military confirmed Thursday it was monitoring a Chinese bulk carrier that was reportedly in the area where two undersea data cables ruptured in recent days in the Baltic Sea.

Finnish, Swedish and German authorities have launched investigations into the rupture earlier this week of two undersea cables — one between Finland and Germany, the other between Lithuania and Sweden. All are member countries of the NATO alliance.

News reports said a Chinese-flagged vessel, the Yi Peng 3, had been in the area at the time of the ruptures.

VesselFinder.com, which tracks marine ship movements, located the Danish patrol boat P525 at about one nautical mile away from the Chinese-flagged ship between Denmark and Sweden on Thursday morning Europe time.

“The Danish Defence can confirm that we are present in the area near the Chinese ship Yi Peng 3,” said Henrik Hall Mortensen, a Danish military spokesman, in an email.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a regular news briefing that Chinese authorities had no information about the ship but said China was ready to “maintain communication” with relevant parties.

He called for the Chinese ship’s rights to normal navigation to be protected.

The ruptures come more than a year after Sweden announced a “purposeful” rupture of an undersea cable to Estonia through the Black Sea, which was also not explained.