This piece is a follow-up to the initial analysis provided below. It is organized into the following sections:
- Introduction & Initial Analysis
- Hong Kong, Singapore, China & the CCP
- Synergy Marine, Synergy Group & Unity Group
- Summary Findings
- Go Deeper
1. Introduction & Initial Analysis
In this piece, we are looking backwards from the initial analysis to make a closer examination of Synergy Marine Pte. Ltd [Synergy Marine], which was the contractual operational manager of the Dali, chartered by Maersk the Danish corporation holding the contract.
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The initial analysis lays-out the position and evidence for the Dali/FSK bridge collision being more asymmetrical warfare from China to include the private equity architecture in LNG and its shipping; and where energy is the currency of corruption [Follow the Money].
The initial analysis was a days-long effort that was organized to help overcome the volume of information and make it more manageable for uptake.
The Dali/FSK Bridge Collapse Was More Asymmetrical Warfare from China
Here, we take a closer look at Synergy Marine beginning with geopolitical angles.
2. Hong Kong, Singapore, China & the CCP
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This introduction from the James Foundation is a good review for our position in the aggregate analysis:
“As China rises on the world stage, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is increasingly utilizing all levers of influence to achieve and secure its national objectives along its periphery and globally. To achieve and secure those objectives, the CCP is employing political warfare. [1] Political warfare is a set of overt and covert tools used by governments to influence the perceptions, beliefs, and behaviors of other governments and societies in order to achieve national objectives. [2] Set within a broader discussion about how CCP engages in influence operations in Asia, Singapore presents a valuable case study for understanding the means by which the CCP engages in influence operations that target a majority ethnic-Chinese state.”
The James Foundation
Therefore, understanding Hong Kong and Singapore relative to China and the CCP is critical to positions in the analysis.
Beginning in 2020 with China’s roll-out of its Hong Kong National Security rule, which fully comports with China’s hegemonic doctrine and resulting geopolitical objectives, China further captured Hong Kong and transitioned it into a full-fledged functionary of China and the CCP.
The same private:public interface that is used by our own Intelligence Community to assign legally prohibited activity to corporate third-party partners in order to do things like launder money with NGOs, illegally surveil the American people and a whole host of other illicit activities, is used by China in Hong Kong and Singapore where it’s further aggravated by the CCP’s control and ownership of corporations in China.
China acts at will and with impunity in Hong Kong and Singapore where the infiltration of the CCP, PLA and Chinese intelligence is ubiquitous and pervasive.
Tactically speaking, by operating, influencing, controlling and owning corporations and shell corporations to varying degrees in Hong Kong and Singapore, China functions with corporate proxies in ways to circumvent oversight, regulation or control by Western authorities.
When China, the CCP, the PLA and Chinese military intelligence want to yank a leash in a way that is problematic to track back to the source, the private:public interface and private equity architecture in Hong Kong and Singapore is the perfect mechanism.
The James Foundation elaborates on Singapore relative to China, the CCP and the operational footprint they maintain there: “The primary avenues for CCP influence operations in Singapore are found in business associations, clan associations, and grassroots organizations.”
GO DEEPER on Hong Kong, Singapore, China and the CCP in the section at the end.
3. Synergy Marine, Synergy Group & Unity Group
The chain from the Dali to China was established examining corporate filings and corporate press releases as laid-out in the initial analysis.
We latch onto the details to more closely examine Synergy Marine.
The initial analysis established that, “Synergy Marine, founded in 2006, provides a range of ship management services, including managing ships’ technical components and their crews and overseeing safety, according to S&P Capital IQ. Its parent company, Unity Group Holdings International, an investment holding company, was founded in 2008 and is based in Hong Kong.” [2].”
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To establish the chain and rule-out entities not associated or relevant, the analysis started at the parent company Unity Group and worked backwards to Synergy Marine.
The process of ruling-out causes us to examine legal names of the entities involved, which tie back to corporate filings and press releases:
- Synergy Marine Pte. Ltd. [“Synergy Marine,” subsidiary of Synergy Marine Group, contracted with Maersk]
- Synergy Marine Group [Parent company of Synergy Marine Pte. Ltd.]
- Synergy Group Holdings International Limited [“Synergy Group” and parent company of Synergy Marine Group]
- Unity Group Holdings International Limited [formerly Synergy Group Holdings International Limited, parent company of Synergy Marine Group]
- Searchlight Capital Partners, L.P. [minority owner of Synergy Marine Group]
- Others
The initial analysis examined:
- Searchlight Capital Partners, L.P. [Searchlight] minority acquisition of Synergy Marine
- Synergy Marine as a subsidiary of Synergy Group
- Synergy was founded in 2006 by Captain Rajesh Unni
- Synergy Marine as the fourth largest ship manager globally [by 10/2022], with around 500 vessels under technical management, including tankers, dry bulk, containers and gas carriers
- In August 2023, Synergy Marine underwent a change in leadership to fracture it from a single CEO into a team of three
There are three lanes to examine:
- A-Founding ownership Captain Rajesh Unni
- B-Synergy Marine as a subsidiary of Synergy Group and Synergy Group’s transition Unity Group
- C-Unity Group Holdings
Synergy Marine Group is based in Singapore, which is also the Dali’s flagged nation of ownership [Grace Ocean Private, a Singapore-based company]: 1 Kim Seng Promenade, 10-11/12 Great World City West Tower, Singapore – 237994.
Unni founded Synergy Marine in 2006 and Searchlight acquired its minority stake in 2022 before it underwent a management overhaul in 2023.
A-Captain Rajesh Unni
Unni’s relevance as founder of Synergy Marine in 2006 is overlaid by the positions established on Hong Kong, Singapore, China and the CCP.
*Link
From his biography published at The Maritime Executive, Unni was drawn to the lucrative nature of merchant shipping to become a fast-riser among his ranks.
Unni was also two other things: 1-a longtime player in Hong Kong and 2-the beneficiary of anomalous good fortune where Synergy Marine experienced meteoric rise on the global shipping scene.
In those days, the merchant navy was a lucrative profession, so after finishing school, I went to sea as a Cadet with Univan Ship Management, a Hong Kong-based ship management company.
Captain Rajesh Unni
From those two factors and the accompanying aggravating evidence, there is room to suggest that Synergy’s financial windfalls resulted from service to China and where the private equity architecture demonstrates evidence for it in spades.
GO DEEPER on Captain Rajesh Unni in the section at the end.
B-Synergy Marine & Synergy Group
Synergy Marine Pte. Ltd. is a subsidiary of Synergy Marine Group and the parent company is Unity Group.
In between is the linkage of Synergy Group, of which Synergy Marine Group is a subsidiary.
A 2015 company information filing with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange establishes details for Wong Man Fai Mansfield as the Executive Director of Synergy Group Holdings International Limited / incorporated in the Cayman Islands 24 Mar 2015 / registered in the Cayman Islands / head office and principal place of business in Hong Kong.
In March 2015, Synergy Group Holdings International Limited was listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange.
In November 2021, Maersk contracted with Synergy Marine Pte. Ltd. for its operational management, which applied to the Dali [“Synergy Marine”>”Synergy Marine Group”>”Synergy Group”>”Unity Group”].
In September 2022, Synergy Group changed its name to Unity Group: “The board of directors (the “Board”) of the Company is pleased to announce that the English name of the Company has been changed from “Synergy Group Holdings International Limited” to “Unity Group Holdings International Limited” and the Chinese name of “知行集團控股國際有限公司” has been adopted as the dual foreign name of the Company in place of its existing Chinese name of “滙能集團控股國際有限公司” with effect from 2 September 2022.”
Notably, Wong remains Executive Director at the same time he is the majority holder: “Wong Man Fai Mansfield Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director.”
C-Unity Group
This is Unity Group Holdings International Limited [website]:
Yahoo Finance provides company profile information on Unity Group Holdings International Limited, which is privately held noting Wong as the majority owner: “Unity Group Holdings International Limited, an investment holding company, primarily engages in the leasing and trading of energy saving products. It provides consultancy services for energy saving systems; energy management systems solutions; and leasing and maintenance services for cooling systems. The company operates in Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, Macau, and internationally. The company was formerly known as Synergy Group Holdings International Limited and changed its name to Unity Group Holdings International Limited in September 2022. The company was founded in 2008 and is headquartered in Wan Chai, Hong Kong.”
*Link
This is Unity Group’s insider roster that also indicates Wong’s majority stake:
*Link
From the Unity Group website and noting the assumed and evidenced position that energy is the currency of global corruption, note Unity’s operations in China: “As a pioneer in ESG, Unity Group attaches great importance to renewable energy with zero emissions. As such, we implement solar energy projects in different parts of the globe, including Hong Kong, mainland China, Malaysia and Africa.” [https://www.unitygroup.eco/index.php]
According to Unity Group, “In 2022, Unity Group entered into an agreement with Zhuhai Xiangbang Environmental Protection Building Materials Co., Ltd, under which Unity Group will build a 600-kilowatt distributed solar photovoltaic power generation system for Zhuhai Xiangbang’s production plant in Zhuhai. Upon completion, the system will generate an estimated 660,000 kWh of electricity per year, equivalent to an annual reduction of about 386 tons of carbon dioxide.” [https://www.unitygroup.eco/ourbusiness-renewable-energy.php]
Zhuhai Yingtao Environmental Protection Building Materials Co., Ltd. is a Chinese-owned entity. [https://www.dnb.com/business-directory/company-profiles.zhuhai_yingtao_environmental_protection_building_materials_co_ltd.bd527ffa4f926fdd25f21a471dc4401e.html]
In 2016, Unity Group began self-monitoring “green,” “net-zero” and carbon agendas in alignment with the UN, just as was evidenced with Synergy Marine in the initial analysis. [https://www.unitygroup.eco/esg-carbon-right.php]
Unity Group speaks the United Nation’s brand of Marxist communist vernacular of “green” agendas, sustainability, diversity, COVID-19 “vaccination” and more indicating it as an on-reservation asset. [https://www.unitygroup.eco/esg-social-responsibility.php]
In 2017, Unity Group was named a “2017 Forbes China Up-and-Comers List Top 100 Best Listed Company.”
[https://www.unitygroup.eco/esg-awards-and-recognition.php]
Unity Group is another corporate cut-out leveraged in a hot zone of geopolitical and economic activity highly infiltrated, influenced and controlled by China and the CCP with overlays in Hong Kong and Singapore.
Moreover, the historic LNG deals signed between the Plaquemines LNG facility and China to the tune of tens of billions of dollars where a disintegrating US infrastructure that is increasingly dependent upon unreliable “green” energy exports one of its cleanest and most valuable energy sources to its primary hegemonic, political, economic and military rival, China; and this is done at the same time China continues its asymmetrical warfare against the US in the exact areas of hazardous materials and energy.
GO DEEPER on Unity Group in the section at the end.
4. Summary Findings
- The findings in this analysis comport with and support the examination and findings in the initial analysis
- Energy is the evidenced currency of corruption
- The LNG architecture features China as a central node that links to the US with contracts in the tens of billions
- Synergy Marine Pte. Ltd. contracted with Maersk to assume operational management
- Synergy Marine Pte. Ltd. is a subsidiary of Synergy Marine Group
- Synergy Marine Group is a subsidiary of Synergy Group Holding International Limited
- Synergy Group Holdings International Limited changed its name to Unity Group Holdings International Limited
- Unity Group Holdings International Limited is a Hong Kong based corporation
- Unity Group Holdings International Limitied’s functionary Synergy Marine Pte. Ltd. is Singapore based
- The geopolitical considerations relative to Hong Kong and Singapore apply respectively to Unity Group Holdings International Limited [Hong Kong] and Synergy Marine Pte. Lte. [Singapore]
- Assuming that China desired to effectuate the Dali’s collision into the FSK bridge as an act of asymmetrical war, there is overwhelming evidence demonstrating the necessary corporate architecture and motive to do so
- The aggregate analysis here and in the first part overwhelmingly suggest that the Francis Scott Key bridge collapse was more asymmetrical warfare from China and that attribution is made with high confidence
5. Go Deeper
GO DEEPER on Wong Man Fai Mansfield
With biographical links:
- https://www.synergy-group.com/upload/files/financial_report/2019/20190218180511_39.pdf
- https://wallmine.com/hkse/1539/officer/2015974/man-fai-mansfield-wong
GO DEEPER on Unity Group
With Unity Group’s 2023/2024 Interim Report:
GO DEEPER: Hong Kong, Singapore, China & the CCP
Going deeper on Hong Kong, Singapore, China and the CCP, in 2022, The Diplomat laid-out five ways Hong Kong became unrecognizable under China’s new security law:
- Demolition of Independent Media
- Journalists Added to a Growing List of Political Prisoners
- Growth of Mainland-Style State Media
- Internet Censorship and Surveillance
- Attempted Erasure of Tiananmen Collective Memory
The publication also lines-out “more to come”:
On July 1, former police officer and security official John Lee will become the fifth chief executive of Hong Kong. The selection of Lee, through a process imposed by Beijing, indicates that the national security crackdown is not over. With the government already banning media outlets from covering his inauguration and the 25-year handover ceremony, it is clear Lee will continue to restrict press freedom. In fact, the government has announced several pieces of draft legislation that would lead to further restrictions on media freedom and freedom of expression.
The Diplomat
The same can be said for the US under Dynastic Bush, Obama and Biden, which is why the analysis steadfastly hammers home our conversion to Marxist communism at the hands of China, et al. and at the behest of Globalists and our own Intelligence Community.
READ MORE: Hong Kong Is Unrecognizable After 2 Years Under the National Security Law / Five ways the law has deepened authoritarianism in the territory as conditions are set to worsen.
In 2024, The Diplomat put it like this,
Since Beijing introduced its draconian Hong Kong National Security Law in 2020, Hong Kong’s authorities have arrested or scared into exile key opposition figures. Stringent electoral reforms ensured Hong Kong’s parliament, the Legislative Council or LegCo, is now stacked with “patriots.” China’s leadership is reaping the fruits of its efforts: On March 19 the LegCo passed the city’s homegrown Safeguarding National Security Ordinance (SNSO) by 89 votes to zero in a record-setting 11 days. That was a far cry from 21 years ago, when Hong Kong’s first attempt to implement national security legislation, as required under Article 23 of Hong Kong’s 1997 Basic Law, resulted in a humiliating climb down in the face of public protests.
The exclusively pro-Beijing lawmakers of the Legislative Council – in power since the first opposition-free elections of 2021 – provided little pushback against the over 200 pages touching on the city’s core rights and freedoms. They instead sought to outdo each other in voicing support for the legislation, which will increase the power of authorities to crack down on a broad spectrum of opposition, real or perceived.
The new security law is another blow to civil liberties in the city. Building on the expansive Hong Kong National Security Law Beijing imposed in 2020, the new SNSO adds a host of vaguely defined offenses constituting insurrection, treason, external interference, or espionage – including mere “incitement to disaffection.” The law places a particular focus on containing “external forces” and foreign interference, with broad definitions of what types of contacts or exchanges of information with foreign actors may be deemed illegal. The law establishes tough penalties, while simultaneously restricting procedural rights, such as access to lawyers.
Just as on the mainland, this “mission creep” of national security may have serious implications for citizens and the private sector alike. The SNSO also adds broadly phrased sections on state secrets and espionage, bringing Hong Kong legislation in line with worrying changes to Chinese law enacted over the past year. It claims extraterritorial applicability for many offenses, which for example means that all entities with a registered presence in Hong Kong could be prosecuted for perceived infractions. This raises key concerns for media outlets and rights organizations still based in Hong Kong, but may also hit corporate actors in information gathering or legal proceedings.
The Diplomat
READ MORE: New Security Law Firmly Aligns Hong Kong With Chinese Communist Party Ideology / CCP concepts and terminology are taking center stage in the city’s lawmaking.
READ MORE: ‘Obey the Party’: The CCP steps out of the shadows in Hong Kong / Once forced into a low-key existence, the Chinese Communist Party has become increasingly assertive in the former British colony
READ MORE: A Preliminary Survey of CCP Influence Operations in Singapore / Publication: China Brief Volume: 19 Issue: 13
GO DEEPER: Captain Rajesh Unni
The Maritime Executive provides a profile on Unni that is reproduced in full: Profile: Captain Rajesh Unni, Founder & CEO, Synergy Group / Unni’s holistic approach to ship management makes Synergy unique.
[From The Maritime Executive]
Tell us about yourself – your background and education.
I hail from the southern state of India – Kerala. My father was a government employee and my mother a stay-at-home parent. Like many Indians before the globalization period, we belonged to the middle class. My younger brother and I never lacked necessities, but we were not raised affluent. Today, I run a successful company, but I’ve never forgotten my roots and continue to remain grateful for my value-based upbringing.
While young, I was awarded a full merit-based scholarship at Sainik (Army) School Trivandrum, one of India’s most prestigious military schools, where I excelled in both academics and sports and served as School Captain. My formative years at the Army school influenced my life to a great extent. I attribute my success to the discipline and organizational skills learned there.
What attracted you to the maritime industry?
Necessity – the financial situation in my house was not improving. Being the eldest, I felt duty-bound to help my family and decided to start working immediately. In those days, the merchant navy was a lucrative profession, so after finishing school, I went to sea as a Cadet with Univan Ship Management, a Hong Kong-based ship management company.
While working, I earned my industry certifications from LBS College of Advanced Maritime Studies & Research in Mumbai – from Cadet to Third Officer, Second Officer and Chief Officer. I attained the rank of Master in 1999 at age 26.
I never imagined back then that I would end up spending most of my life in the maritime industry. Our industry is tough but built on strong people-bonds. Seafarers often share a special camaraderie, and the friendships you forge remain for a long time. I’ve been lucky to meet my mates through this profession.
What inspired you to found Synergy?
Having spent more than a decade in the ship management industry, I found that – despite high productivity costs – the level of service was still sub-par. The only way ahead was to continue to accept the norm or take a leap of faith and challenge the status quo. Along with a few like-minded friends – and the support of my mentor, Capt. Katsuya Abe, President of Nissen Kaiun, a 120-year-old family-run Japanese shipping company, and others – we decided to take the lead and set up a world-class, comprehensive technical ship management service based on openness, trust and reliability. That philosophy was incorporated as Synergy in Chennai, India, in 2006.
Our strategy was simple and straightforward. We unbundled all our learning and went back to the basics to create a value proposition for our clients. Starting with contracts to manage four ships, we steadily grew to 70 ships in just under seven years. Since then we’ve built a reputation for reliable service and a commitment to safety and client satisfaction.
Tell us about the name “Synergy.”
For us it’s always been about team and never about an individual. The sum of the knowledge capital and talent is always greater than individuals working independently. “Synergy” seemed the apt name for a company that believes in collective efforts.
What makes Synergy different?
In our industry, trust is the basis of all. Our vision for Synergy is to be the most trusted maritime partner. We aim to be an innovative, benchmark player in the shipping sector. We’ve been way ahead of the curve in adopting new-age technologies. We’re recognized as a forward-looking, world-class company that’s ahead of the times through successful digitalization.
Over the past few years we’ve been progressing towards digital transformation. But I must emphasize that a cyber-enabled ship doesn’t necessarily mean an unmanned ship. Synergy in fact took delivery of the first ship to be classed with Lloyd’s Register’s Cyber AL-SAFE notation, certifying the autonomous systems onboard as safe. Simply put, seafarers’ skills will also need to encompass a degree of digital competence. The core skills of seafarers – good seamanship, independent problem-solving and resilience – will remain the same.
I think owners have recognized that our holistic approach and ability to form successful partnerships is a sound, “win-win” business model and have supported us, which we are very grateful for.
How many offices and employees are there?
Synergy Group now has 13 offices in six key maritime centers and employs more than 12,000 seafarers. We currently have more than 300 vessels under management including LNG and LPG tankers, chemical tankers, oil tankers, container vessels in the 1,800-20,000+ TEU range and every size of bulk carrier.
Describe for our readers the range of services offered by Synergy.
Synergy provides end-to-end maritime solutions and services tailored to the specific requirements of clients. We view ourselves as thought- and operational partners to vessel owners. We manage and crew their ships to ensure they’re operated to the highest efficiency and safety standards on a day-to-day basis. We also apply our technical expertise to ensure they stay ahead of the competition. This can mean anything from helping them reap the benefits of digitalization to partnering with them to reduce carbon emissions.
We also provide a wide range of crewing and training services. We manage major projects such as newbuildings and scrubber installations on behalf of clients. We commercially manage vessels to maximize profitability, and we take on many back-office functions including accounting and insurance. It’s a full-service and operational portfolio!
Can you tell us about revenues? Synergy has existed for less than 15 years and it’s already one of the biggest players in the industry. How did that happen?
We’re delighted to be among the market leaders, of course, but I should point out that we’ve never seen the size of our fleet as an end in itself. The basic premise of how we work is it doesn’t matter if you’re talking about 20 or 200 ships. The only real consideration is ship management service and quality deliverables. There’s no point in growing if that results in inefficiencies and a lack of focus on what the client wants.
We’ve always been very careful to avoid those sorts of diseconomies of scale, which is why most of our growth has been organic – as our clients have grown, we’ve grown to facilitate their requirements. The Synergy mantra is, and always will be, that fleet size is secondary to client service and satisfaction.
You are an outspoken champion of seafarer rights at a time when seafarers are being refused repatriation and treated by many countries as persona non grata. Tell us what needs to be done in this regard.
Quite simply what has happened to seafarers during this pandemic can never be repeated. It really is an outrage. As you know, hundreds of thousands of seafarers have been stranded at sea, unable to return home since the first quarter of the year because ports and airports have been closed to them, preventing crew changeovers. Nobody, anywhere, should ever be treated this way, and most definitely not key workers on whom the world depends. It really has become a humanitarian catastrophe and is entirely man-made.
At Synergy, we’ve been doing our best to help where we can, including forming a shipping alliance of leading owners and stakeholders to push for more rapid change and promoting and trialing the idea of safe corridors, which is now being more widely adopted. Thankfully, we’ve made some progress. In early July Synergy completed its 2,000th crew movement since lockdown. More importantly, our overdue relief rate has more than halved to less than 15 percent from its peak in May.
However, we still need governments, especially the major crew-supply governments, to streamline airline permitting and crew visas, open up ports and create pathways so crew can return home or join ships more easily.
That global shipping operations have continued to function with amazing efficiency and limited interruptions throughout this crisis, even as seafarers and their families have faced unprecedented strains far beyond what should be acceptable, is testament to the professionalism and resilience of those who work at sea. They should not be asked to carry this burden any longer. Everyone has their own individual stress threshold, and we should not be waiting for seafarers to reach theirs.
In the long-term, to ensure this debacle is never repeated, governments and U.N. bodies, including the IMO, need to put in place a rigorous system that identifies seafarers as key workers and opens up legal corridors so we can keep global trade flowing even in the midst of a pandemic. Shipping cannot tackle this cross-border issue alone.
You are also a champion of decarbonization in shipping and what you call “negawatts.” What specific steps are required to achieve those goals?
Shipping must be sustainable in the future because the world is demanding a reduction in emissions. It’s inevitable, in my view, that we need to decarbonize supply chains. I also believe personally that it’s the right thing to do. Shipping should take the lead in this, not wait until punitive actions and regulations force our collective hand. We can digitalize to make vessel and fleet efficiency gains, and we can take a range of ship design and operational steps to save energy because saving energy is the first step to cutting emissions. This is the concept of the “negawatt.” Not using energy is the easiest means of cutting emissions.
What’s your vision for the company? Where do you see it in, say, five years?
Our vision is be a trusted partner for our clients and we see it as our responsibility to continue to improve. We’re always on the edge seeking to find, redefine and deliver ship management services in a more efficient, sustainable way. We want to make operating ships a simple and pleasant experience for everyone in the chain. It’s not an easy two-step process, but I know we can do it.
Jack O’Connell is The Maritime Executive Magazine’s senior editor.
-END-
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