Nick Wake: China is targeting Great Lakes cyber vulnerabilities
"The Great Lakes built Michigan into an industrial powerhouse. Now we must protect them and the people that utilized them," columnist Nick Wake writes.
EDITOR'S NOTE: The views and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not of Ottawa News Network.
Michigan’s very name comes from the Ojibwe word mishigami, meaning "great water." It is a fitting root for a state whose identity, economy, and security depend on five interconnected lakes that hold one-fifth of the world’s surface freshwater.
From the locks at Sault Ste. Marie to the busy shipping channels of the Detroit River, our waterways power our manufacturing, sustain local tourism, move millions of tons of commercial cargo and act as international borders. But while we view our waterways as economic lifelines, China increasingly views them as strategic targets for data harvesting.
As a proud Michigander who has spent years navigating the intersection of public policy and private industry, I know firsthand how important it is to pay close attention to the tech operating on our lakes — and who ultimately manages and controls the data it generates.
Today’s vessels are essentially smart devices on the water. Every time a modern ship or yacht leaves the dock, its onboard sensors quietly capture precise location coordinates, map underwater depths, and track surrounding traffic in real time.
Now that digital footprint is heading straight to China. In May, the Ferretti Group, an Italian boatbuilder whose high-end luxury yachts navigate our own Great Lakes, came under the control of Weichai Group, a Chinese state conglomerate with alleged technology transfer concerns.
Why should a state-backed acquisition of a boatbuilder in Italy matter to residents in Grand Rapids, Detroit, or Traverse City? Because under China’s 2017 National Intelligence Law, state-linked entities like Weichai must hand over data to state intelligence services upon request.
The Great Lakes host critical national infrastructure. The Soo Locks handle tens of millions of tons of cargo every year, acting as a vital link for North American steel production and defense manufacturing. Michigan’s river systems also support busy shipping channels, manufacturing corridors, and house active shipbuilding sites that support U.S. naval contracts.
Allowing China to chart our shipping lanes and critical infrastructure creates a security blind spot we can no longer ignore.
In Washington, Sen. Jim Banks is leading the way, urging the Department of Defense to designate Weichai as a Chinese military entity under Section 1260H. Michigan lawmakers ought to follow suit. Once placed on this list, Weichai would face federal procurement bans and intense supply-chain scrutiny. This is a national security issue that shouldn’t get bogged down in bipartisan bickering.
At the same time, Michigan buyers, brokers, and dealers should freeze transactions with Ferretti until they get firm guarantees that data is fully protected.
The Great Lakes built Michigan into an industrial powerhouse. Now we must protect them and the people that utilized them; that means keeping the technology charting our lakes, and the sensitive data it generates, secure and away from the prying eyes of China.
— Nick Wake is a West Michigan-based businessman, former Thornapple Township trustee, and former legislative staffer for the Michigan House of Representatives.
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