China is currently taking action against unauthorized weather stations as part of a larger effort to combat foreign espionage. The Ministry of State Security, which serves as China’s civilian intelligence agency, China has detected numerous weather stations linked to foreign entities, which have been relaying live weather data to overseas locations. These activities are regarded as breaches of data regulations and are seen as significant security concerns.

These weather stations have been discovered across more than 20 provinces in China, and some of them have received direct financial support from foreign governments. They have been strategically placed in sensitive areas, including near military installations and in key grain-producing regions. These compact weather monitoring instruments are designed to independently transmit real-time data.

The information collected by these weather stations is transmitted frequently and over extended periods to meteorological agencies in foreign countries. While it is clear that foreign nations are involved, the particular nations involved have not been revealed.

The Ministry of State Security identified these unauthorized stations after investigating over 10 overseas meteorological equipment agents and conducting inspections at more than 3,000 foreign-linked weather stations within China. It was established that these foreign organizations did not possess the required administrative permits for their operations and did not comply with Chinese regulations concerning the collection, utilization, and dissemination of Chinese weather data.

The Ministry expressed the importance of meteorological data for various aspects of China’s security and development, including data security, resource security, military interests, food production, ecological concerns, and climate change.

This recent crackdown followed earlier disputes, such as the one in 2012 when Beijing urged foreign governments to cease sharing data on China’s air quality. The public disclosure of real-time air quality data by the US Embassy on platforms like Twitter heightened awareness about air pollution in Beijing, compelling Chinese authorities to recognize and tackle the problem.

Additionally, this development follows an incident that occurred eight months ago, in which the United States shot down a Chinese surveillance balloon that had drifted over sensitive military installations within the continental US. China insisted that it was a “civilian airship used for meteorological research” and had strayed from its intended course. Nonetheless, the United States alleged that China had responded excessively.

Tensions have been rising between China and the US, with both nations making allegations of espionage against each other. The Ministry of State Security in China, previously recognized for its secretive nature, has adopted a more public stance by revealing various instances of purported US espionage. Additionally, it has initiated a public account on WeChat to promote public vigilance and encourage the reporting of suspicious actions.

This outreach by the Ministry coincides with the statement made by CIA Director William Burns, who indicated that progress had been made in rebuilding the agency’s spy network in China, following significant setbacks a decade ago.