China Criticizes US Over SpaceX Spy Satellite Program, Cites Global Security Risks

China's military and state media have accused the United States of jeopardizing global security by contracting SpaceX to develop spy satellites, highlighting escalating tensions over space and surveillance technologies.

SpaceX's Classified Satellite Project Sparks Outrage, Security Concerns from China

Reuters reported that SpaceX's Starshield unit is developing the satellite network under a classified $1.8 billion contract with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO).

According to the People's Liberation Army's (PLA) social media account, the SpaceX program exposed the U.S.'s "shamelessness and double standards" as Washington accuses Chinese tech companies of threatening U.S. security

"We urge U.S. companies to not help a villain do evil," Junzhengping, a PLA-run account, wrote on Weibo on Sunday. The account currently has 1.1 million followers. The post stated, "All countries worldwide should be vigilant and protect against new and even bigger security threats created by the U.S. government."

The India Express, in a posted report, Wang Yanan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge, a magazine overseen by the ruling Communist Party, said the SpaceX satellite project posed "a challenge to global security and stability" in an interview.

"The United States' high-profile intelligence reconnaissance of countries or regions it is concerned about will inevitably cause some hot issues to become more sensitive or even escalate," Wang told The Global Times, a Chinese state-controlled newspaper, in an interview published Sunday.

Musk also runs other companies, including Tesla, with a significant manufacturing presence in China. Neither Junzhengping nor the Global Times mentioned Musk or Tesla.

NRO Silent on SpaceX Role in Surveillance Network Amid China's Security Warnings

In response to the Reuters report, the NRO acknowledged its mission of developing space-based surveillance systems but declined to comment on the extent of SpaceX's involvement, per U.S. News & World Report. In addition, SpaceX, the world's largest satellite operator, has yet to respond to several requests for comment on the contract.

The planned Starshield network is distinct from Starlink, SpaceX's expanding commercial broadband constellation that includes approximately 5,500 satellites in space to provide near-global internet access to consumers, businesses, and government agencies.

Chinese PLA researchers have spent the last two years studying the deployment of Starlink in the Ukraine conflict and have repeatedly warned about the risks it poses to China.

China has also announced plans to build its satellite constellations.

Space X, NRO, and the Pentagon did not immediately respond to inquiries about China's reaction to the contract.

Photo: SpaceX/Unsplash