China Denounces Reported US-SpaceX Spy Satellite Deal

Facts

• On Sunday, the Chinese military and state-run media separately criticized the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), a US intelligence agency, for contracting with Elon Musk's SpaceX to build hundreds of spy satellites.¹
• An account called Junzhengping, run by the People's Liberation Army (PLA), made a post on Weibo to 1.1M followers accusing the US of 'shamelessness and double standards' for claiming PRC tech firms are a threat to US security when the US is building up its spying apparatus.²
• In addition, Wang Yanan, chief editor of Aerospace Knowledge — a magazine overseen by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) — in an interview called the reported project 'a challenge to global security and stability.'²
• These reactions came after a Saturday Reuters report cited five sources claiming SpaceX's Starshield business unit is under a $1.8B classified contract with the NRO to build a network of hundreds of spy satellites.³
• The sources said completion of this contract could lead to the US military being able to identify targets almost anywhere in the world.³
• Previously, Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX president, last year said — in a report by the Wall Street Journal — that the company and the intelligence community enjoy a 'very good collaboration.'⁴

Sources: ¹Reuters.com (a), ²Asia Financial, ³Reuters.com (b) and ⁴Forbes.

Narratives

• Pro-China narrative, as provided by Global Times. This deal is more proof the US intends to instigate a space war, as China will have no choice but to counter the proliferation of these satellites by moving facilities underground and developing similar technology. The world should be concerned that the US will not just use these satellites for military spying but will also use them to target civilian populations.
• Anti-China narrative, as provided by Mint. China's rhetoric is disingenuous if it thinks the world doesn't know it too is working on its own spy satellite constellation. In fact, the US and all of its rivals are looking to modernize its intelligence collecting technology and use low-orbit spacecraft that can gather information faster and for longer periods of time.

Predictions