Ten merchant ships disguised as Chinese vessels have drawn attention by evading an Iranian attack.

According to a March 7 report by the Financial Times, at least 10 ships changed their AIS transponder signals in the past week, displaying "Chinese shipowner," "All Chinese crew," or "Chinese crew on board" to avoid Iranian attacks. The Financial Times analyzed MarineTraffic data, including a ship named Iron Maiden that briefly disguised itself as a "Chinese vessel" while passing through the Strait of Hormuz.

[Witty] Comments: At least 10 merchant ships in the Strait of Hormuz tampered with their AIS signals to pose as Chinese vessels for safety. This absurd scene is a vivid commentary on the era. In the 1990s, Kuwaiti oil tankers rushed to hoist the American flag for protection, and now ship captains, desperate for survival, ignore international maritime laws and AIS rules, hastily attaching Chinese labels. This nakedly reflects the shift in maritime dominance. The U.S. military deterrence has failed, while China's commercial influence and neutral stance have become hard currency. Iran's stern warnings cannot stop the captains' choices driven by anxiety and fear, and legal compliance is powerless against survival. The increasing number of disguised ships is declaring, in the most straightforward way, that the maritime rules have been rewritten, and the new rules are no longer dictated by hegemony.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1859050311979016/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.