Emails show big political game about Chinese ship: US wanted answers from Denmark

The Americans have been following the case of a Chinese ship suspected of sabotage in the Kattegat closely, correspondence shows

While a Chinese cargo ship suspected of sabotage was being followed by the Danish navy in the Kattegat, employees at the US embassy in Copenhagen took action.

This is shown by a document that DR has obtained in correspondence between the US embassy and several Danish authorities.

As early as November 19, when the ship dropped anchor, the embassy contacted the Ministry of Foreign Affairs about the matter.

And the following day, the Danish Maritime Authority and the Ministry of Business and Industry were also contacted by the embassy, ​​which asked to be updated on the Danish authorities' handling of the matter.

We are already talking to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and defense colleagues, but I would like to hear if the Danish Maritime Authority (or the Ministry of Business and Industry) has any comments, writes an embassy employee in an email. The American employee then asked whether the Chinese vessel had had Danish pilots on board, and she also asked for answers to "what role your authorities play in the attempt to better understand the incident and its causes".

Expert: US closely following China's actions

The cargo ship Yi Peng 3 has now been anchored in international waters between Denmark and Sweden for 17 days.

The ship is suspected of having sabotaged two undersea data cables in the Baltic Sea on November 17 and 18.

The inquiry from the US to Denmark about the case shows that the ship "is involved in a major political game with many interested observers on the sidelines", assesses senior researcher Andreas Bøje Forsby from the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS).

- It is clear that the question of the extent of China's possible involvement in the sabotage operation is receiving a lot of attention, because it would be both surprising and above all alarming if it were to turn out that Chinese actors played any kind of role in the operation, says Andreas Bøje Forsby, who researches relations between China and the West.

He also assesses that the case has "obviously" caused unrest in Washington.

- The Americans are of course following China's actions closely in these kinds of security-related matters, and Denmark, as far as I know, will never hesitate to meet requests of this type from our most important ally.

The US and the rest of NATO have a strong focus on hybrid warfare such as sabotage against critical infrastructure, says Andreas Bøje Forsby. (Photo: © Linda Kastrup, Scanpix)

A spokesperson for the US embassy in Copenhagen tells DR that the embassy "has strong relationships across the Danish government".

- It is not unusual for us to reach out and engage in a wide range of issues. We do not discuss our private diplomatic inquiries and discussions publicly, says spokesperson Meg Young.

She refers questions about Yi Peng 3 to the countries involved in the case.

DR has previously attempted to get a comment from the Chinese company that owns Yi Peng 3 and from the Chinese embassy in Denmark.

They have not responded to DR's inquiries.