Staff Reports
Estonian officials are scratching their heads as China continues to play hardball in response to a legal aid request related to an undersea pipeline disaster that occurred last year. The damage from this “man-made disaster” has drawn parallels to Russia’s notorious hybrid warfare tactics. Interestingly enough, the culprits behind the damage may have come from a ship owned by none other than the Red Dragon itself. It seems that while Estonia seeks cooperation from China, the Chinese authorities are practicing their best impression of a teenager ignoring a phone call from their parents.
Kairi Küngas, head of communications for the Estonian prosecutor’s office, revealed that the request for evidence from the Chinese ship and its crew has yet to be met with any semblance of a response. The lack of communication could be construed as classic Chinese transactional diplomacy, where “no response” often means “we’ll think about it… indefinitely.” Meanwhile, Baltic investigators have already deduced that a Chinese vessel’s anchor played a role in the underwater fiasco, implying the ship was involved, whether inadvertently or not.
Scoop –
Beijing has admitted that a Chinese-owned ship damaged a critical Baltic Sea gas pipeline running between Estonia and Finland last October, but says it was an accident.https://t.co/yNtraSgGz4
— Finbarr Bermingham (@fbermingham) August 12, 2024
Across the globe, the South China Morning Post reported that Chinese authorities have conducted an internal investigation, presumably hiring their version of Sherlock Holmes to figure out the details. They eventually communicated their findings to European nations, claiming that the incident resulted from poor weather conditions. However, this unspecified “storm” hasn’t impressed various European officials who are left wondering if a ship could realistically drag its anchor for miles without the crew taking notice. One could assume that keeping an eye on their equipment might be part of a sea captain’s job description, but clearly, life at sea is full of surprises.
The question hangs in the air like a smog in Beijing: was the anchor drag really an accident, or is China merely hoping to sweep this incident under the rug? This perplexing situation is further compounded by Europe’s intensified concerns about the vulnerability of undersea cables and pipelines following the destruction of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline in 2022. With NATO keeping a watchful eye and China solidifying its partnership with Russia, the stakes couldn’t be higher. All of this ultimately leads to a sense of unease in Europe, where suspicions of foul play loom larger than a panda in a grocery store.
As if the situation isn’t sticky enough, the Finnish National Bureau of Investigation warned that the inquiry is ongoing. It appears they’re stuck waiting for definitive answers that may take their sweet time arriving. Finnish officials were also quick to highlight the need for legitimate legal cooperation from China. After all, if they want to pursue this investigation credibly, it’s not exactly a good look to rely on Chinese authorities waving their magic wand and declaring “it was just an accident.” So, as Estonia and Finland grapple with these complex international relations, it seems one thing is clear: they’re not getting the kind of answers they were hoping for from their supposed “friends” in Beijing.
