But as pointed out by @foolsball "The unobstructed version allows a relatively clear view of the orange objects on the pier and near the catapult amidships."
As such it looks indeed as if these "could" be preparations for the first catapult test.
(Image via @LeoSongPKU from Weibo)
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Could be reading too much into it, but the second photo in the other post with that level of surreptitiousness, could be an indicator of higher levels of security in the area