ISTANBUL

China has acknowledged that a Hong Kong-flagged container ship "inadvertently" damaged a critical gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea last October, the South China Morning Post reported on Monday. 

The ship, NewNew Polar Bear, reportedly severed the Baltic-connector pipeline connecting Estonia and Finland, and damaged two telecommunications cables on Oct. 8, 2023.

Chinese authorities conducted an internal investigation and told the European governments the accident was the result of a strong storm, the media outlet said.

However, a spokeswoman for the Estonian prosecutor stated the document had not been received by the prosecutor's office and cannot be used as evidence in their criminal investigation.

Finnish and Estonian authorities have been investigating the incident, with Finnish investigators noting the ship's movements coincided with the timeline of the damage. Authorities in both countries called on Beijing to promptly address their inquiries about the vessel, according to the media outlet.

In December, Finland's Minister of European Affairs Anders Adlercreutz expressed skepticism that the incident was accidental or occurred without Beijing's knowledge.

In January, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto and China's Xi Jinping said they held "constructive dialogue" over the pipeline damage, highlighting the diplomatic sensitivity of the issue.