Two Baltic Sea telecommunications cables were severed earlier this month in Swedish territorial waters, including one running from the Swedish island of Gotland to Lithuania.

Suspicions have been directed at a Chinese ship -- the Yi Peng 3 -- which tracking sites said had sailed over the cables around the time they were cut.

On Friday, Lithuania's foreign ministry said in a statement that three Chinese staff members "have been declared undesirable in the country".

The ministry did not give the precise reasons for the expulsion, citing only "activities which violate the Vienna Convention and the legislation of the Republic of Lithuania".

On Wednesday, Lithuania said it was setting up a joint team with Sweden and Finland to investigate the damaged cables, with the support of Eurojust, the European Union's agency for criminal justice cooperation.

China has denied any responsibility in the matter and said Friday it was "willing to work" with a probe.

Ties between Vilnius and Beijing had already been tense after Lithuania in 2021 allowed Taiwan to open a de facto embassy under the island's name.

It marked a departure from the common diplomatic practice of using the name of the capital Taipei to avoid angering China, which claims the island as part of its territory.