Overview
- China's Ministry of State Security posted a WeChat advisory on Friday saying foreign intelligence actors have deployed sensor-fitted turtles and fish, detection buoys, wave gliders and shipboard electronic kits in Chinese waters.
- The MSS described a spherical buoy with a high‑precision acoustic array that could record submarine signatures, wave gliders powered by waves and solar panels that relay position and ship‑activity data, and animals fitted with sensors that send temperature, salinity and current readings by satellite.
- The ministry urged researchers, fishermen and shipowners to report suspicious devices and state media say rewards for turning in suspected equipment can reach about 500,000 yuan.
- International outlets note the MSS's technical allegations have not been independently verified and the ministry did not identify where finds occurred or which states it suspects.
- Analysts say the warning highlights why oceanographic and acoustic data matter for submarine concealment, navigation and resource claims and recalls historical cases where militaries used animals or unmanned platforms for surveillance.