China warns ‘military fans’ they could face prison for posting photos online

In the age of open-source intelligence, one main way for Western experts to keep tabs on China’s military is by analyzing photos of new People’s Liberation Army equipment posted online by amateur enthusiasts.

Posting photos of military ships or aircraft captured from outside PLA installations or from commercial flights near sensitive areas has become a common sight in recent years as China rapidly modernized its forces. And “military fans” have spread the word to the larger population on social media sites like Weibo, with hundreds of millions of active users.

But not anymore.

In a WeChat post Saturday titled: “This is a cool hobby, but you must be very careful,” the Ministry of State Security said: “Some individual military enthusiasts severely endanger national military security by illegally obtaining information regarding national defense and disseminating them on the internet.”

“With a focus on military airports, ports, national defense and military industrial units, they drove to or took ferries or planes that pass by designated routes, and clandestinely photographed with telephoto lenses or drones,” said the post from the highly secretive civilian spy agency.

Repeat violators could be imprisoned for up to seven years, although “first-time or occasional offenders” may only receive a warning, according to the agency, which oversees intelligence and counterintelligence both within China and overseas.

The warning comes as Chinese leaders have becoming increasingly focused on ensuring national security across a range of sectors, especially as tensions rise with the United States.

For example, the agency only earlier this year launched its social media account – dedicated to warning citizens about the risks of exposing China’s secrets to the outside world and calling on them to join its fight against espionage.

The case of the carrier
According to the spy agency’s post Saturday, images posted online can show the progress of construction on warships or aircraft while also disclosing operational and technical details of Chinese military hardware. The post specifically mentioned aircraft carriers as one area where security could be compromised.

China’s newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, has been a frequent target of amateur spotters as it is fitted out at a Shanghai shipyard. The Jiangnan shipyard where the work is being done is close to flight paths of Pudong Shanghai International Airport.

In November, Paris-based defense news site Naval News reported that the Fujian had begun testing its advanced electromagnetic catapult system, based on videos posted on Weibo apparently taken from a passenger plane out of Pudong.

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