"China Installs Ground Station Near US for Espionage Activities" [Reading Science]

US CSIC Issues Report on 4th Raising Concerns
Ground Stations for Space Networks Installed One After Another in South America
"Used to Monitor Space Activities of the US and Allied Countries"

A large antenna with a diameter of 70m at the Goldstone DSN base in California, USA. Not related to the article.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] As tensions between the U.S. and China deepen and extend into space, concerns have been raised that China is conducting espionage using satellite ground stations it has established in South America.

The U.S. Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) released a report on the 4th stating, "Although the space networks such as ground stations China has set up in South America are for civilian use, they can monitor or surveil spacecraft from the U.S. and other countries and potentially even target them."

According to the report, China has recently installed ground stations one after another in South American countries including Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela. In Chile, China is also leasing a ground station from the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC). This is part of a deep space communication network for missions such as the Beidou satellite navigation system, the Mars probe Tianwen-1 launch, and the lunar exploration project Chang'e 5 mission. China is also operating Yuanwang-class tracking ships dedicated to satellite tracking.

The problem lies in the opaque and overly broad terms of the contracts China has signed with these countries. Moreover, ground stations are inherently facilities that can be repurposed for military use. The report pointed out, "The risk arises from the fact that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) exerts extensive influence over China's space development," adding, "The PLA is effectively involved in all of China's space activities." It also analyzed that "while Chinese government authorities have not ruled out military actions in space, the National Space Administration, a key civilian space development agency, is strongly influenced by the PLA," and that China's space-related ground station networks are actually owned and operated by the PLA.

For example, the Yuanwang-class tracking ships used for satellite position tracking are operated by the China Satellite Launch and Tracking Control General (CLTC), an organization under the Strategic Support Force (PLASSF) established by the PLA in 2015 to respond to space, electronic, and cyber warfare. The Espacio Lezano ground station located in Neuqu?n, Argentina, is also owned by CLTC. The Argentine and Chinese governments included a clause in their lease agreement for this site that prohibits interference or obstruction of operations for 50 years.

Craig Faller, commander of the U.S. Southern Command, testified at a congressional hearing in 2019 that "the Neuqu?n ground station, with a 13.5-meter diameter antenna at a height of 35 meters, has the capability to monitor and target U.S. and allied space activities." Such suspicions have become an international issue. In 2020, the Australian government refused to extend the lease contract for the ground station with the Swedish Space Corporation (SSC), which had been performing entrusted tasks on behalf of China, citing potential security threats. In June, the Indian government strongly opposed the entry of the Chinese space tracking ship Yuanwang 5 into a Sri Lankan port.

The space specialist media SpaceNews pointed out, "Because ground stations are geographically scattered around the world, they have been subjects of conflict and concern depending on geopolitical factors," adding, "Given changes in U.S.-China relations, there is likely to be ongoing debate in the future."