Sweden's foreign minister said Monday that China had denied a request for prosecutors to conduct an investigation on a Chinese ship linked to two severed Baltic Sea cables despite Beijing pledging "cooperation" with regional authorities.

China has allowed representatives from Germany, Sweden, Finland and Denmark to board a Chinese bulk carrier at the centre of an investigation into Baltic Sea cable breaches, the Danish foreign minister said on Thursday.

Beijing on Monday promised to continue "cooperation" with regional authorities over a Chinese ship linked to the recent severing of two undersea cables in the Baltic Sea. Beijing on Monday confirmed the ship had left to "to ensure the physical and mental well-being of the crew".

China said on Monday it had provided information and documents for an open investigation into the severing of two Baltic Sea undersea cables, though it and Sweden disagreed over how transparent Beijing had been in the case.

A recent incident in the Baltic Sea has led to sharp criticism of China, as Swedish officials express outrage over China’s refusal to allow a Swedish prosecutor aboard a Chinese vessel suspected of severing two undersea cables.