Poster promoting space security Photo: China's Ministry of State Security (MSS)

Foreign intelligence agencies have been conducting remote sensing detection on China through high-precision satellites, with the intention of observing and stealing secrets from space in recent years, China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) revealed on Wednesday.

The MSS stated that certain countries' intelligence agencies have conducted infiltration activities toward China's aerospace sector, using bribery, networking, and coercion to target Chinese researchers to steal the cutting-edge advancements in the aerospace technology.

The national security agencies, together with relevant departments, have investigated and dealt with several illegal cases in which the cutting-edge advancements in the aerospace field were stolen through bribery, coercion, and manipulation effectively dealing a blow to foreign spy and intelligence agencies, according to the MSS.

Space is increasingly becoming a key area for economic growth, military conflicts, and national security. Major powers and medium-sized powers all prioritize the development of space.

The competition for space resources is growing increasingly intense, as space exploration confronts a scarcity of orbital and spectrum resources. High-speed debris, including abandoned satellites and rocket remnants, is proliferating in space, heightening the risk of collisions with spacecraft, said the MSS.

The arms race in space is intensifying, with some Western countries establishing space combat forces and honing their space operational capabilities, often positioning China as their primary competitor in this domain. They promote theories of space dominance and engage in an arms race, exerting considerable effort to suppress and contain China, thereby threatening the peaceful environment in space, according to the MSS.

Global Times