China Claims to Have Detected Spy Animals in Its Waters

China's Ministry of State Security has claimed that foreign intelligence services are using animals fitted with sensors to gather information from the marine environment, describing the practice as part of an "invisible secret war" being waged in waters off China's coast.

The ministry said on WeChat that it had detected marine animals carrying data-collecting devices in Chinese waters. The so-called "spy turtles" and "spy fish" were reportedly designed to collect real-time information on water temperature, salinity and sea currents, then transmit it to foreign countries via satellite. Beijing did not specify where the animals were found or identify who had equipped them with the technology.

Chinese authorities also reported finding buoys fitted with meteorological sensors capable of tracking the acoustic signatures of Chinese submarines, as well as unmanned vessels powered by wave and solar energy designed to gather data on ship movements and sea conditions.

Beijing regularly warns of espionage activities in the South China Sea, the East China Sea and the Taiwan Strait, and offers fishermen financial rewards for reporting suspicious devices found in its waters.

(guardian, bak)