Why are ships in the Strait of Hormuz identifying themselves as Chinese?

Iran and groups aligned with it have generally avoided targeting ships linked to China, as per analysts, citing Beijing's relatively neutral position in the conflict and its economic ties with Tehran

In an attempt to mitigate the risk of attacks from Iranian military forces, merchant ships in and around the embattled Strait of Hormuz are starting to identify themselves as linked to China in the hope that they will be left unharmed, according to both marine traffic data and shipping analysts.

 

Iran and groups aligned with it have generally avoided targeting ships linked to China on account of its relatively neutral position in the conflict and economic ties with Tehran, Ana Subasic, trade risk analyst at analytics firm Kpler, was quoted by news agency AP as saying.

 

Data from the ship-tracking platform MarineTraffic, analysed by the Associated Press (AP), showed that at least eight vessels operating in or near the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman changed their destination signals to messages such as “CHINA OWNER” or “CHINA OWNER&CREW”.

 

 

The messages appeared in the destination field of a ship’s Automatic Identification System (AIS), a transponder used to broadcast a vessel’s position and navigation details to other ships and ports.

Analysts explain purpose of 'Chinese' signals

Shipping analysts said the messages were intended to signal neutrality rather than confirm actual ownership or nationality.

 

“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,” Subasic said.

 

Kun Cao, client director at consulting firm Reddal, told AP that the signals were intended to send a simple warning to potential attackers.

 

“The message is more like: do not mistake me for the kind of ship you said you would hit,” he said.

Destination fields can be altered by crew

The AIS destination field usually displays a ship’s intended next port and helps navigation and port planning. However, the field is entered manually by the crew and is not verified in real time.

 

Because of this, vessels sometimes insert additional information in the field that becomes visible to other ships and tracking platforms.

 

Matthew Wright, an analyst cited by the Financial Times (FT) newspaper, said the system allows crews to modify the information easily.

 

“They can change anything really; you can put whatever you want there,” he said.

Ships mix up messages while crossing the Strait

Several ships used variations of the tactic while moving through the narrow shipping lane that has now become a chokepoint for global trade, particularly energy shipments of crude oil, LNG, and LPG.

 

At least 10 vessels changed their destination signals to phrases such as 'Chinese Owner', 'All Chinese Crew' or 'Chinese Crew Onboard', according to MarineTraffic data analysed by the FT.

 

One bulk carrier briefly altered its signal to 'CHINA OWNER' while transiting the Strait before continuing its onward voyage.

 

In another case, an LPG tanker used a different message identifying itself as a 'Muslim Vsl Turkish' vessel before restoring its original details after crossing the waterway, the FT reported.

Most ships were not under Chinese flag

Despite the signals, most of the vessels identified in the data were not registered under China’s flag.

 

Their flag states included countries such as Panama and the Marshall Islands, which are widely used in commercial shipping registries.

 

However, analysts noted that a ship’s flag often has little connection with the nationality of its owner or operator in the global shipping industry.

 

The tactic emerged as attacks on commercial vessels in the region started in the second week of the conflict that began February 28, when the United States and Israel hit Iran with a barrage of missiles and bombs, killing that country's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

 

According to the AP report, at least 19 merchant ships in the wider region have been damaged during the conflict so far.

 

The situation raised concerns among ship operators and cargo owners as vessels continued to move through one of the world’s most critical maritime routes linking the Persian Gulf with global energy markets.