Ship spying on China – Beijing

BEIJING: The US military apparently hired a mysterious Norwegian civilian ship for close reconnaissance in China, near the island of Taiwan, and in the South China Sea, analysts warned.

The Grand Canyon II, a multirole construction support vessel seemingly affiliated to Helix Energy, a US oil and gas services company, and has many connections to the US military, has been undertaking undisclosed operations during the past months, the South China Sea Strategic Situation Probing Initiative (SCSPI), a Beijing-based think tank, said on Sunday.