Chinese captain rejects charges linked to Finland-Estonia undersea cable cuts

WEB DESK: A 44-year-old Chinese ship captain pleaded not guilty in a Hong Kong court on February 11 to charges of criminal damage arising from the alleged severing of a natural gas pipeline and submarine telecommunications cables in the Baltic Sea in October 2023.

The incident

Captain of the Hong Kong-registered container vessel NewNew Polar Bear, Wan Wenguois accused of causing damage on 8 October 2023 in waters between Finland and Estonia. Investigators in Finland and Estonia concluded that the vessel dragged its anchor along the seabed, rupturing the Balticconnector gas pipeline which links Finland and Estonia as well as nearby telecommunications cables. A broken anchor recovered from the scene was reportedly matched to the ship, which was later found to be missing its forward anchor.

According to the Hong Kong charge sheet, reviewed by Reuters, Wan is alleged to have acted “recklessly” and “without lawful excuse”, thereby damaging property belonging to others. He faces one count of criminal damage, along with two additional charges relating to an alleged failure to ensure the vessel complied with safety requirements under the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS).

Court proceedings

Appearing before a magistrates’ court in Hong Kong, Wan entered not guilty pleas to all three charges.

His counsel, Jerry Chung, indicated that the prosecution intends to call 18 witnesses, including crew members, Hong Kong officials and maritime experts. Proceedings are expected to examine the vessel’s movements, anchor-handling procedures and technical evidence linking the damage to the ship.

The October 2023 incident heightened security concerns in the Baltic region at a time of increased tension following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022. A number of undersea pipelines and communication cables have been disrupted in recent years, prompting suspicions of hybrid warfare and sabotage.

Although Finnish authorities characterised the damage as resulting from anchor drag described in investigations as accidental or reckless rather than deliberate the episode attracted significant international attention given the strategic importance of Baltic energy and communications infrastructure.

NATO subsequently strengthened its maritime presence in the region, deploying additional frigates, aircraft and surveillance assets to safeguard critical infrastructure.

While separate incidents involving other vessels, including the Yi Peng 3 in 2024, have raised similar concerns, the Hong Kong proceedings relate specifically to the 2023 NewNew Polar Bear case.

No immediate comment from Chinese authorities or the vessel’s operators was reported. The trial highlights the continued scrutiny surrounding maritime activity near sensitive infrastructure in northern Europe.