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.
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.
In April 2023, state broadcaster CCTV disclosed in a news report that in November 2021, Mr. Luo, a “fairly renowned” military enthusiast, was sentenced to one year in prison following his arrest by the Shanghai national security bureau for photographing the Fujian carrier.
“It shall be unlawful to make any photograph, sketch, picture, drawing, map, or graphical representation of such vital military and naval installations or equipment,” unless proper permission is obtained beforehand, the US Code states.
After photos of a suspected mockup of China’s next-generation stealth fighter jet appeared online in September, Schuster told CNN that “given the carrier’s location and likelihood of deck operations being photographed or videoed, the PLA [Navy] may see value in inciting speculation about the Fujian’s future air wing,” just to give adversaries something to think about.
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