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In February 2023, a Chinese surveillance balloon was shot down in the United States (US) by the US Air Force (USAF). While US representatives say no information was lost to the Chinese government, the incident raises concerns about the Chinese government's geospatial and surveillance capabilities. 

China's geospatial strategies encompass a wide range of areas, including national security, public security, and industrial regulations. This multifaceted approach is designed to serve both economic and national security interests. The recent balloon incident, which China claims was for weather data collection, still has raised suspicions due to the country's expanding collection methods in grey-zone warfare, including advancing intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) through the use of spy balloons, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and other aerostat technologies as part of the People's Liberation Army's Reconnaissance Strike Complex (RSC). 

Global prospects of Chinese geospatial ambitions 

China's development of the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BeiDou) is a testament to its technological prowess. Primarily designed for national security, driven by the 1996 Taiwan Strait missile crisis, BDS provides the Chinese military with strategic autonomy. It enables precise missile guidance, robust communication, and enhanced cyber and drone warfare capabilities without relying on the U.S.-controlled Geographic Positioning System (GPS). BeiDou offers superior accuracy, particularly in Asia-Pacific, with position accuracy under 10 cm compared to GPS’s 30 cm. Its compatibility with GPS, Russian Globalnaya Navigatsionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema (GLONASS), and the European Union’s GALILEO provide a reliable alternative for militaries concerned about GPS signal manipulation and interference during conflicts. 

China’s existing geospatial strategies are bolstered by developing geospatial systems like BeiDou, a critical part of the Space Silk Road (China’s push to create a reliance on the BeiDou systems from all countries the Belt and Road Initiative passes through), and by increasing Chinese sovereignty in the global domain and the dependence of countries in China’s neighbourhood on them. One such country is Pakistan, which has integrated BeiDou into its military and civil systems as part of its cooperation with China, thus reducing its dependence on GPS. China has made similar agreements with other Belt and Road Initiative Members, including Saudi Arabia and Iran. In 2019, Saudi Arabia was also undersigned in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China to collaborate on using BeiDou in military applications and in 2021, Iran and China signed an MoU for a strategic partnership, while internal sources later alleged this included giving Iran access to BeiDou’s military-grade signals.

 

"China’s existing geospatial strategies are bolstered by developing geospatial systems like BeiDou, a critical part of the Space Silk Road (China’s push to create a reliance on the BeiDou systems from all countries the Belt and Road Initiative passes through), and by increasing Chinese sovereignty in the global domain and the dependence of countries in China’s neighbourhood on them."

 

China’s (Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is not the only development in near space. Due to suspicions over China’s use of geospatial satellites for military purposes and subsequent exclusion from the International Space Station, entitled the Wolf Amendment. The Wolf amendment, however, has had no effect in discouraging the Chinese government from space exploration or using space data in military applications and ISR. Thus, China also developed Tiangong, a Chinese sovereign space station (Tiangong 1 first launched in 2011). 

Military applications

While the BeiDou and Tiangong systems are useful for countries aligning with China, their main purpose is to assist the People's Liberation Army (PLA). The PLA heavily relies on geospatial technology for navigation, intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), targeting, and command and control. Integrating satellite imagery, remote sensing, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and GPS into military operations enhances China's situational awareness and overall military capability. 

The People’s Liberation Army Strategic Support Force (PLASSF) enhanced its ISR in the last decade, launching various satellites alongside the BeiDou Systems. These include advanced communications satellites capable of transmitting large volumes of data, space systems providing precise PNT services, and new weather and oceanographic satellites.

 

"The People’s Liberation Army Strategic Support Force (PLASSF) enhanced its ISR in the last decade, launching various satellites alongside the BeiDou Systems."

 

For long-range precision strikes in the Indo-Pacific region, the PLA would partially depend on high-resolution, dual-use space-based synthetic aperture radar (SAR), electro-optical (EO) sensors, and possibly electronic intelligence satellites for surveillance and targeting. 

Moreover, the PLASSF has incorporated strategic oversight of the application of data from these space-based systems, integrating this information into operational planning and execution. The leadership at the corps level or the level just below the corps (corps deputy leader) is responsible for overseeing and managing the ground-based components of various space-related systems. This includes ensuring the functionality and security of the BeiDou and other satellite and surveillance networks and coordinating their use in peacetime and wartime operations.

PLA officers have also been noted participating in international cooperation meetings with Russia under “Beibu Unity 2023”, suggesting a level of strategic collaboration and potential sharing of satellite data and technologies, further enhancing their ISR capabilities. This, alongside suspicions of China sharing geospatial information with Russia amidst the war on Ukraine, is indicative of China’s dismissal of global accountability with advancing technology.  

Surveillance and control

While China’s removal from the ISS left the country no choice but to venture into space on its own space station and military applications of dual-use technologies such as geospatial technologies are common globally, the use of geospatial technologies in surveillance and border control have been a criticised action by China. China uses geospatial technology, biometric databases, and facial recognition for extensive domestic surveillance and control. This includes monitoring dissidents, ethnic minority groups, and potential sources of unrest. 

Additionally, the Baidu Street View and Maps facility restricted both map and street views of alleged Uyghur Detention Camps. Similar surveillance by China has been revealed in Tibet.

 

"Additionally, the Baidu Street View and Maps facility restricted both map and street views of alleged Uyghur Detention Camps. Similar surveillance by China has been revealed in Tibet. "

 

Geospatial intelligence, along with other technologies such as drones, AI, and even biometric surveillance, can result in unethical forms of surveillance. China's investment in Near Space Flight Vehicles (NSFV) is critical to its military strategy, including space-borne and air-borne platforms, reinforcing and ensuring continued capability even if space-based assets are compromised. This, alongside the development of high-altitude heliports alongside the Sino-India border, is a concern for the Indian Border Force for the possible use of the ports as tactical locations at the least and the use of UAVs for surveillance and attacks at the most. 

Implications for Global Security

The dual-use nature of geospatial technologies, combined with China's territorial ambitions and military advancements, pose significant and pressing challenges for other nations, including economic competition with GNSS-possessing nations, the scope of increasing geopolitical tensions through military-grade geospatial technology and information sharing and the unethical use of such technologies in grey zone warfare and domestic surveillance. The spy balloon incident underscores the evolving nature of intelligence collection and the increasing importance of near-space technologies in modern warfare. 

With China’s investment in heliports on the Sino-Indian border and collaboration on military-grade geospatial information use with India’s neighbours, India continues to see China as a significant player in the space race and in its border security.

As China's geospatial capabilities continue to evolve, the global community must navigate the challenges and opportunities posed by this ever-changing and strategic landscape.

Shravishtha Ajaykumar (Centre Security, Strategy and technology)
26 July 2024

 

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