A Chinese commercial vessel that has been surrounded by European warships in international waters for a week is central to an investigation of suspected sabotage that threatens to test the limits of maritime law—and heighten tensions between Beijing and European capitals.

Western officials believe that Moscow likely orchestrated the Baltic Sea incident as part of growing efforts to cripple key maritime infrastructure.

European investigators believe that a Chinese commercial ship purposefully dragged its anchor in order to slash through two critical data cables.

Sweden is asking a Chinese vessel to return to Swedish waters to help facilitate an investigation into recent breaches of undersea fibre-optic cables in the Baltic Sea, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Tuesday,

Sweden would like Chinese bulk carrier Yi Peng 3 to move towards Swedish waters as part of the country's investigation into breached submarine fiber-optic cables, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Tuesday.

European investigators believe a Chinese-owned commercial ship deliberately dragged its anchor to sabotage the two undersea telecommunications cables cut in the Baltic Sea earlier this month. However,

Sweden has demanded that the Chinese vessel connected to an investigation of two Internet cables in the Baltic Sea being damaged earlier this month return to its waters as part of the probe.

Sweden’s prime minister has urged a Chinese ship linked to the cutting of two cables to move into Swedish waters, as the country steps up its investigation of the potential incident of sabotage in the Baltic Sea.

Sweden’s authorities have requested that the Chinese vessel linked to broken data cables in the Baltic Sea move closer to its waters, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said.