Beijing: China’s Ministry of State Security announced on Tuesday that it had seized multiple spying devices, both at sea level and in the depths of the ocean. These included sophisticated underwater “lighthouses” reportedly used to facilitate the passage of foreign submarines through China’s waters. The ministry’s statement, shared on its official WeChat account, detailed how these devices—some concealed on the ocean floor—were transmitting information that could potentially “pre-set the field for battle”.
This revelation follows recent confrontations in the South China Sea between China and the Philippines, as both nations stake claims in the strategically crucial waterway. With heightened tensions, the risk of a wider conflict looms, particularly given the United States’ treaty obligation to defend the Philippines if attacked. Beijing has also recently conducted military exercises around Taiwan, simulating strikes and deploying both ships and aircraft, actions that drew condemnation from both Taiwan’s government and the United States.
“National security forces have seized a variety of special technical devices used for spying on marine information and data, hidden in the vastness of the sea,” the ministry stated, without providing specifics on where these devices were retrieved. “Some act as ‘secret agents,’ drifting with the waves and monitoring real-time activity in our territorial waters. Others function as underwater ‘lighthouses,’ guiding foreign submarines that infiltrate our waters.”
China claims near-total sovereignty over the South China Sea, an assertion disputed by other nations in the region, including Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Meanwhile, Beijing maintains its stance on Taiwan, asserting it will not rule out the use of force against the island, which Beijing considers part of its territory despite Taiwan’s insistence that its future can only be determined by its people.
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Addressing what it describes as a “serious and complicated covert struggle for deep-sea security,” the ministry stated, “(We) will firmly defend China’s sovereignty, security, and developmental interests and contribute to the construction of a strong maritime nation,” underscoring its resolve against foreign intelligence threats.
