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You'd think China would step in about that because eventually a legitimate Chinese ship might we attacked.
I understand the desire to avoid attack but isn't flying a literal false flag one of the most egregious violations of intl law, or the 'law of the seas' or whatever?
If they're civilian vessels, not really. But it's not necessarily a lie, the article doesn't say whether the vessels are actually Chinese owned/operated/crewed or not.
Perfidy is generally restricted to engaging in combat while flying another country's flag or wearing another military's uniform. As long as you aren't fighting while flying another flag, it's generally considered a legitimate ruse.
That being said, national governments tend to frown on their flag being used so rather... severely. I wouldn't dock in China anytime soon after pulling a trick like that.
this post was submitted on 08 Mar 2026
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