Key actors — tap for context
Ministry of State Security
China's civilian intelligence and counterintelligence agency (MSS)
Why here: Published a warning about "spying" turtles and offered a reward for reporting them
More info →
Five Eyes
intelligence alliance of the US, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand
Why here: According to SRF, its warnings about Chinese espionage provoked Beijing's counter-narrative
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DARPA
the Pentagon's agency for breakthrough military research
Why here: Its PALS program actually uses live fish as submarine detectors — proof the idea isn't science fiction
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Northrop Grumman
American defense and aerospace conglomerate
Why here: Built the Manta Ray underwater glider for DARPA, which anchors itself to the seabed — exactly like Beijing's description of a "guardian"
More info →Northwestern Polytechnical University
Chinese technical university in Xi'an
Why here: Its team sent a bionic "manta ray" to a depth of over a thousand meters — China is developing the very technology it warns about
What exactly Beijing claims
The ministry described three types of devices. Some are said to function as underwater "guardians" that lie on the seabed for long periods, recording the movement of vessels; others are drifting "agents" carried by currents; a third type is said to act as underwater "beacons" guiding foreign submarines through Chinese waters. Besides animals, the ministry also mentioned solar-powered wave gliders, sensor buoys, and devices hidden aboard cargo ships that monitor activity in ports. The collected data on temperature, salinity, and currents is allegedly sent abroad via satellite and used to build an "underwater map" meant to reveal weak points in coastal defenses as well as oil and gas deposits. Euronews ↗Why this isn't a revelation
For all its drama, the warning lacks the essential thing: evidence. The ministry did not show a single photograph of a device, did not state exactly where it found the animals, how many there were, or which country it blames. Both the AFP news agency and the US network CBS pointed out that these are claims without details and without independent verification. CBS News ↗This fits a broader pattern of public calls for vigilance by China's intelligence service; according to this interpretation, such calls are meant to mobilize the domestic public rather than present a concrete case. SRF links the timing to context: the warning came shortly after Five Eyes states (the US, Britain, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand) again warned about Chinese espionage in recent days. In this interpretation, Beijing is sending a counter-signal: they spy on us too. Hong Kong Free Press / AFP ↗
But the technology is real
And this is exactly where the surreal story touches reality. Turning marine life into sensors is not a Chinese invention — the American agency DARPA has for years funded the Persistent Aquatic Living Sensors program, in which real fish and crustaceans serve as biological detectors of submarines and divers; the budget has exceeded 45 million dollars. Scientific American ↗The same agency unveiled the Manta Ray autonomous underwater glider from Northrop Grumman, which can anchor itself to the seabed and "hibernate" in a low-power mode — in other words, almost exactly what Beijing describes as an underwater "guardian." Space.com ↗ And China is not lagging behind: scientists from Northwestern Polytechnical University sent a bionic "manta ray" to a depth of over a thousand meters in the open sea; experts cited by Radio Free Asia (a US-funded outlet critical of Beijing) acknowledge that such machines could be used for surveillance as well as sabotage. Radio Free Asia ↗
Limits of this view
From what is publicly known, it's impossible to determine whether Beijing found a real device, exaggerated something, or is merely staging vigilance for a domestic audience. Skepticism is warranted — yet suspicion of "animal espionage" does have precedents: in 2019, a beluga whale wearing a harness appeared off the Norwegian coast, which media linked to the Russian navy, and according to British military intelligence, Russia likely deployed trained dolphins near Sevastopol in 2023 to protect against divers. So the ocean as a battlefield for espionage is not fiction. What's unverifiable is the specific Chinese claim — not the idea itself. And the backdrop is real: the South China Sea, the East China Sea, and the Taiwan Strait are among the most closely watched waters in the world, and hydrographic data from them has direct military value. CBS News ↗What hotinfo is watching
- The MSS published a photograph of a device or named a specific country of origin.
- A fisherman reported a "catch" and Beijing actually paid the reward (50,000–500,000 yuan).
- A new open test of a bionic underwater drone — DARPA's PALS or a Chinese programme.
- The response of the Five Eyes states or Western intelligence services to the Chinese claim.
