Chinese Captain Held In Hong Kong For Damaging Baltic Gas Pipeline & Cable

A Chinese ship captain has been remanded in custody by a Hong Kong court over accusations that his vessel caused serious damage to a key gas pipeline and an underwater communication cable in the Baltic Sea in October 2023.

Wan Wenguo, aged 43, was the captain of the NewNew Polar Bear, a container ship flying the Hong Kong flag and owned by a Chinese company.

He appeared in Eastern Court in Hong Kong on Thursday, where he was charged with one count of criminal damage and two charges related to marine safety violations under Hong Kong laws.

The charges follow an incident on October 8, 2023, when the NewNew Polar Bear damaged the Balticconnector gas pipeline and a nearby telecoms cable while passing through the Gulf of Finland.

The Balticconnector, a 77-kilometre pipeline, is a critical natural gas link between Estonia and Finland. The pipeline damage occurred within Finland’s economic zone, while the telecommunications cable was damaged in Estonia’s waters.

Prosecutors in Hong Kong accuse Wan of being responsible for the damage caused during the ship’s voyage between October and December 2023. They claim he failed to ensure the vessel had enough anchors and also failed to submit required daily reports to the ship’s owner.

These actions are said to violate safety provisions under the Merchant Shipping (Safety) Ordinance, including regulations concerning navigational equipment and vessel maintenance.

The court hearing concluded with the captain being remanded in custody, as he did not submit a bail application. The next court session is scheduled for early July, giving authorities more time to continue investigations.

The case has drawn global attention due to the strategic importance of the damaged infrastructure and ongoing tensions in the Baltic Sea.

Since 2022, several infrastructure-related disruptions have raised security concerns in the region, prompting NATO to strengthen its maritime presence with warships, aircraft, and underwater drones.

Investigations are underway in both Finland and Estonia. Finnish police believe the pipeline was damaged by a dragged anchor and later confirmed that the NewNew Polar Bear was missing one of its front anchors.

Chinese authorities have conducted their own investigation and concluded that the damage was accidental, caused by a strong storm.

However, Estonian officials have stated that China’s findings are not legally valid as official evidence in their case.

China’s Foreign Ministry, in a statement issued in May 2024, acknowledged that the NewNew Polar Bear was involved in the incident but denied that the damage was intentional.

They also said China was willing to cooperate with Estonia. However, Estonian prosecutors reported they had not received any response to a formal request for legal assistance from Chinese authorities.

A spokesperson for the Tallinn Prosecutor’s Office stated that they could not yet determine what data China might have collected or how it could influence further legal steps.

After the incident, the NewNew Polar Bear switched from the Hong Kong flag to the Panamanian flag. The vessel is operated by Hainan Yangpu NewNew Shipping and is insured by the Longon P&I Club.

Under Hong Kong law, authorities have the power to prosecute crimes committed on board Hong Kong-registered ships even if the incidents occur in international waters, regardless of the crew’s nationality.

Reference: scmp

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