Are China's research vessels plotting a route to war? - DW News
China has, for the first time, publicly acknowledged that its research vessels are surveying disputed shoals in the South China Sea. Beijing says the ships are conducting scientific research. Critics say they're gathering data that could strengthen China's territorial claims and military capabilities. So what are these vessels really looking for?
AFP China Deploys Record Number of Ships Around Taiwan as Pressure Grows
Taiwan's coast guard logged more Chinese government ships in its waters last month than in any month on record. Pressure has stopped being episodic.
BREAKING: Chinese White-hulled Warships Escort Marine Survey in Taiwan, Japan and Philippine EEZs, Signaling a Challenge to First Island Chain
China Coast Guard ships have run "routine voyages" in Japan's EEZ south of Yonaguni since June. Calling it routine is how the precedent gets set.
China’s Marine Survey Ships as a Security Challenge for Japan and the Region - Japan Institute for International Affairs (JIIA)
According to AIS data, the research vessel Zhong Shan Da Xue sailed through the South China Sea from May to June 2025. However, Sun Yat-sen University declared that the vessel was active in the South China Sea in August 2025, which contradicts the AIS data. The announcement stated that Sun Yat-sen University had conducted sea-trials of Haiqin, a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) capable of operating at depths of up to 6,000 meters, and that Zhong Shan Da Xue had deployed the Haidou-1 autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) at the same time. This marked the first scientific survey conducted by coordinating two different unmanned vehicles via a single support ship14.
