Ships in Persian Gulf signal "China owner" to avoid attacks

Several commercial vessels sailing near or through the Strait of Hormuz and the Persian Gulf have begun declaring themselves as China-linked since the start of the war involving Iran, according to maritime traffic data, apparently in an effort to reduce the risk of being targeted in attacks.

Data from the ship-tracking platform MarineTraffic, analyzed by Associated Press, shows that at least eight vessels in or near the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman altered their declared destination signals. Instead of listing ports, they displayed short messages such as “CHINA OWNER” or “CHINA OWNER&CREW.”

“The main goal of vessels publicly identifying themselves as ‘Chinese’ while transiting the Gulf or the Strait of Hormuz is primarily to reduce the risk of being attacked rather than to facilitate passage through the strait itself,” said Ana Subasic, a trade risk analyst at the data and analytics firm Kpler, which owns MarineTraffic.

Subasic noted that Iran and affiliated groups have generally avoided targeting ships linked to China, reflecting Beijing’s relatively neutral stance and its stronger economic ties with Tehran.

By Vafa Guliyeva