In a significant move within its ongoing counter-espionage campaign, China is targeting meteorological stations believed to be spying for foreign nations, heightening concerns over national security. The Ministry of State Security, China’s civilian spy agency, recently revealed the discovery of hundreds of illegal weather stations with foreign ties, violating data rules and posing potential risks to the nation.

Spread across over 20 provinces, these stations were allegedly funded directly by foreign governments. Some were strategically placed around sensitive locations such as military bases and defense firms to gather altitude and GPS data. Others were situated in major grain-producing regions, analyzing crop growth and yield. The spy agency noted that these devices were small, easily concealed, and capable of collecting actual time data, which was then transmitted overseas, raising alarms about China’s sovereignty and security.

The Ministry’s investigations into more than 10 overseas meteorological equipment agents and the inspection of over 3,000 foreign-linked meteorological stations nationwide led to this startling revelation. These foreign entities had neither obtained administrative licenses nor submitted data to Chinese meteorological authorities, thereby violating China’s data security law enacted in 2021. The Ministry stressed that this unauthorized collection and transmission of meteorological data endangered China’s military, food, and ecological security, as well as its public interests.

This crackdown echoes past controversies involving the collection of meteorological data by foreign parties. In 2012, Beijing demanded foreign governments stop releasing data on China’s air quality after the US Embassy’s documentation of Beijing’s severe smog prompted public awareness and pressure on Chinese officials to address the issue. The recent crackdown follows an incident where the United States shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon, further intensifying the spying allegations between China and the US.

China’s Ministry of State Security has taken an unprecedented step in publicizing alleged espionage cases by the US, underscoring the increasing tensions between the two nations. The ministry’s heightened vigilance and public engagement underscore the gravity of the situation. Amid these developments, China remains committed to safeguarding its national security interests in the face of evolving geopolitical challenges.