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 by SpaceX, is banned in China and has not been granted a licence to operate. Chinese authorities view the service as a national security concern because it transmits data directly to overseas gateways instead of routing communications through approved domestic infrastructure.

Under Chinese law, all satellite communications within the country must pass through domestic gateways, and any radio equipment or frequency used within China requires prior official approval. Starlink terminals, which function as radio transceivers, have not received such authorisation.

Maritime authorities also warned that unauthorised satellite communication devices could interfere with other wireless systems and potentially pose safety risks in busy port and coastal areas. For this reason, vessels equipped with Starlink terminals are required to stop using them when entering Chinese waters.

State-linked media described the case as a landmark enforcement action, saying that illegal use of LEO satellite communication within Chinese waters has been difficult to control in the past because such equipment is hard to track and identify. As a result, many foreign vessels may have continued using Starlink or similar systems without being detected.

China has been strengthening its rules on satellite and telecommunications services. The most recent step was a regulation on direct-to-device satellite services that came into force in June, further tightening restrictions on foreign companies offering telecom services in the country.

Reference: SCMP