China Accuses Foreign Spy Agencies of Targeting Its Space Program Secrets Amid Global Rivalries

The ministry’s WeChat post revealed that it has been addressing incidents where foreign espionage agencies have attempted to extract crucial information from China’s expansive space program. This includes technologies related to remote sensing, satellite communications, navigational positioning, and digital earth projects. The post highlighted that as China’s space technology advances, certain countries perceive China as a significant competitor in the space domain and are actively trying to curb and undermine China’s progress. This information was shared by the Global Times, a publication under the Communist Party of China.

Although the ministry’s announcement did not specify any particular nation’s intelligence services, it comes at a time when the UK recently arrested and charged three individuals with espionage, alleging they were operating for Hong Kong’s intelligence services, a region under Beijing’s administration. Following these arrests, the UK’s foreign ministry summoned the Chinese ambassador to express strong objections to what it sees as a growing trend of foreign meddling in its internal matters.

In a related development, Canada has initiated a public investigation into foreign interference, focusing on China’s actions (along with Russia, India, and Pakistan) and their potential influence on the general elections of 2019 and 2021. China has been actively expanding its space exploration efforts, demonstrated by the launch of the Chang’e-6 mission by the China National Space Administration (CNSA) on May 3, aimed at collecting lunar samples from the moon’s far side.

The competition in space exploration, particularly with the United States, is intensifying as China sets its sights on sending astronauts to the moon by 2030 and striving to dominate the global space race. China has also developed its global navigation satellite system, BeiDou, positioning itself as a counterpart to the US’s GPS system. BeiDou is one of the four operational global navigation satellite systems, alongside Russia’s GLONASS and the European Union’s Galileo.

(Edited by Tony Rai)

Additionally: Canada has refused visas to former Pakistani intelligence officials, a move described by a former envoy as a typical strategy by Western nations.