China has penalised a foreign-flagged vessel after authorities found it was illegally using Starlink satellite internet while operating inside Chinese territorial waters.
The violation was detected during a routine inspection by maritime law enforcement officers at Ningbo Port in Zhejiang province.
During the inspection, officials noticed a small rectangular antenna mounted on the ship’s top deck that appeared noticeably different from standard maritime safety communication equipment.
According to the Ningbo Maritime Safety Administration, subsequent checks confirmed the equipment was a LEO satellite communication device manufactured by a foreign company.
While the authorities did not officially identify the brand, images released with the report showed a terminal that could be identified as a Starlink device.
Investigators found that the vessel continued transmitting data after entering Chinese territorial waters. This was deemed a breach of China’s telecommunications and radio management regulations, which strictly control the use of satellite communication systems within the country.
Starlink, operated
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