00:00Sea turtles have crossed the same ocean for millions of years.
00:03China now says some of them are working for foreign spies.
00:07So how does a sea turtle become a national security threat?
00:10Here's what's happening.
00:11On Friday, China's Ministry of State Security posted a warning titled
00:14Under the Deep Blue, undercurrents are surging.
00:17It claims foreign intelligence agencies are fitting large marine animals with sensors,
00:22releasing them into Chinese waters,
00:23and using them to transmit data to overseas satellites.
00:27Are those sharks with laser beams attached to their heads?
00:31In a section labeled Spy Turtles, Spy Fish,
00:33the Ministry says those sensors gather water temperature, salinity, and ocean currents,
00:38the kind of data used to map the seabed and track submarine movement.
00:42The post also warned about detection buoys, solar-powered wave gliders,
00:45and devices hidden on cargo ships.
00:48Now China is urging fishermen, researchers, and ship owners to report anything suspicious,
00:52offering rewards reportedly between 50,000 and 500,000 yuan for tips.
00:58The Ministry calls it an invisible secret war, warning that if this data gets out,
01:01it could put China's military and its borders at risk.
01:04But China didn't name a single country, point to a single spot in the ocean,
01:08or show any proof.
01:10State media just pointed to the West.
01:12Critics in foreign press and security circles say that's the whole problem.
01:15No enemy, no location, no evidence.
01:18To them, it sounds less like a real discovery and more like an excuse to get the public watching
01:22and reporting for the government.
01:23But supporters in Chinese state media say that spying with animals is actually real.
01:28Back in 2023, British officials say Russia used trained dolphins to guard a naval base
01:32in the Black Sea.
01:33So is China warning us about a real threat that nobody's talking about,
01:37or is it making up an enemy so it can keep a closer eye on its own waters?
01:40Drop your take in the comments and follow us here for more.
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