Loggerhead turtle (caretta caretta)
Animals and other devices constitute a “serious threat to China’s territorial, military and economic security”, warned the country’s Ministry of Security.
China’s Ministry of State Security has warned that foreign intelligence services are using marine animals such as turtles and fish equipped with sensors to collect sensitive information about China’s maritime environment.
In an article published on the WeChat platform, the ministry stated that marine fauna is one of the ways used by other countries to obtain data on water temperature and salinity, seabed topography and ocean currents.
According to the organization, Chinese authorities have already captured “spy turtles and fish” equipped with sensors while swimming in waters under Chinese jurisdiction, without specifying their location.
The ministry added that it has also identified other equipment intended for collecting maritime information, including buoys, ocean gliders and on-board electronic devices, the presence of which constitutes “a serious threat territorial, military and economic security” of China.
Among the examples cited is a spherical buoy installed by a foreign marine research institute, equipped with high-precision meteorological and acoustic sensors, capable of collecting environmental data and acoustic signals emitted by Chinese submarines in real time.
The text also mentions an ocean glider powered by solar energy and the movement of waves, equipped with radio communication and satellite transmission systems, which would allow the collection of environmental information with potential military relevance and data on maritime activity.
Another case cited is that of equipment marketed as a “maritime services” device for cargo ships, but which, according to the ministry, would be capable of monitoring port activities in real time and integrating meteorological data and navigation coordinates to create a “maritime surveillance network”.
“Maritime security is an important component of national security and its protection requires efforts from everyone”, highlighted the ministry, appealing to the population to report suspicious equipment and to vessel owners to be suspicious of offers of material from unknown companies.
The Ministry of State Security, which in 2023 called for the mobilization of the entire society to “prevent and combat espionage”, regularly publicizes alleged cases of espionage and has encouraged Chinese citizens to be suspicious of job offers or requests for information considered suspiciousespecially when they have foreign origins.
In 2024, recalls , the nation claimed to have identified hidden “lighthouses” at the bottom of the ocean that could guide the passage of foreign submarines and “prepare the ground for battle”. And the Chinese government offers rewards of up to 500 thousand yuan (approximately 64 thousand euros) to anyone who discovers spying devices in national waters.
