A Chinese ship captain whose vessel damaged undersea communication cables and a gas pipeline in the Baltic Sea a few years ago is being tried in a Hong Kong court on the question whether the damage was intentional.
The plea is not guilty (Associated Press, February 11, 2026).
Wan Wenguo, captain of the Newnew Polar Bear container ship, appeared at a Hong Kong magistrate court and pleaded not guilty to one count of criminal damage. He also pleaded not guilty to two separate charges relating to violations of marine safety requirements for his vessel….
Finnish authorities previously determined the Newnew Polar Bear vessel was responsible for damaging the Balticconnector gas pipeline, which connects Finland and Estonia, in October 2023. Finland also sought China’s cooperation in the investigation.
A charge sheet seen by The Associated Press accused Wan, who is in his 40s, of damaging a natural gas pipeline and submarine telecom cables between Finland and Estonia “without lawful excuse” and said he was “reckless as to whether such property would be damaged.”
The case was heard at a Hong Kong court because the vessel was registered there.
The inquiry is botched already if it’s a Chinese Communist Party “court of law” that is to decide whether what happened was CCP-directed sabotage or personal negligence or unavoidable accident; and if the captain did do something wrong, what the punishment should be. As has been confirmed by the months-long show trial of Jimmy Lai, concern for objectivity and justice has been demoted to so low a priority in Hong Kong’s judicial system as to no longer be present there except by chance or as window dressing.
