Ships identify Chinese links to avoid attacks
Some commercial ships near or in the Strait of Hormuz and Persian Gulf have declared themselves as China-linked since the Iran war began, marine traffic data show, as their operators apparently try to reduce risks of being targeted in attacks.
At least eight vessels in or near the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman changed their declared destination signals to short messages such as “CHINA OWNER” or “CHINA OWNER & CREW,” according to data on the ship tracking platform Marine Traffic analysed by The Associated Press. “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 data and analytics firm Kpler, which owns Marine Traffic. Some of the vessels passed through the strait and headed for their destinations. Others were still in the area.
Iran and affiliated groups have generally avoided targeting ships linked to China, Subasic said, given China's relatively neutral stance and stronger economic ties with Iran. “The message is more like do not mistake me for the kind of ship you said you would hit,'” said Kun Cao, client director at consulting firm Reddal.
Iranian attacks on vessels in the Persian Gulf and the wider region have particularly raised concerns among shippers. At least 19 commercial ships around the region had been damaged in the war as of Thursday.
Most of the eight vessels identified by Marine Traffic were not China-flagged. Their flag states included Panama and the Marshall Islands, although Reddal's Cao noted that a vessel's flag often “has little to do with the ship owner's nationality” in commercial shipping.
