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China's national security authorities have cracked down on multiple espionage cases targeting the country's aerospace sector, as foreign intelligence agencies have been attempting to infiltrate and steal sensitive information, China's Ministry of State Security revealed on Friday.

With space becoming a new frontier for human activities, countries worldwide are increasingly engaging in communication and cooperation on space development, making space a growing impact on national security. Recent espionage cases in the aerospace sector have highlighted the need to safeguard core secrets and national interests, according to an article released by the ministry.

Countries worldwide have been competing in the development and utilization of space, leading to discussions of space dominance and an arms race. The militarization and weaponization of space have increased, while progress in establishing international governance rules has been slow, leading to a deteriorating space security environment, according to the ministry.

Especially with the development of China's space technology, some countries view China as a major competitor in the space sector and spare no effort to contain and suppress China, the ministry said.

After decades of vigorous development, China's aerospace industry has achieved remarkable success with missions such as the Shenzhou manned spaceship and Chang'e lunar probe projects. On May 3, China launched the Chang'e-6 spacecraft to collect and return samples from the moon's mysterious far side.

The advancement of space activities and technologies has made the space economy a key driver of global economic growth. In 2022, the space economy is valued at about $460 billion globally, while the broader economy is estimated to benefit from space activities to the value of $3.1 trillion, according to a report released by the European Space Policy Institute in 2023.

China's space technology, including satellite remote sensing, satellite communication, navigation positioning, and digital earth, has been extensively utilized in various sectors such as production, industrial and agricultural development, land and air transportation, climate monitoring, and emergency response.

Space assets are strategic assets that must be managed, utilized and protected properly. Maintaining space security has become a crucial national security strategy that determines the future survival and development of a country, said the article.

Global Times