The US State Department has urged countries not to use Chinese satellite services, warning that they could be used to help Beijing gather military information and sensitive intelligence, a Washington-based defence media outlet has reported.
Advertisement
Defence One published an article on Monday based on what it said was an undated, internal memo obtained from the State Department. The document was mainly used to provide talking points for officials, the report said.
Countries dealing with the US were asked to ban satellite services provided by “untrusted suppliers, such as those from China”. The report did not specify if the memo was referring to long-term Western allies or all of the United States’ trading relationships.
Governments were asked to “take steps to exclude untrusted satellite providers, such as those based in China, and make sure they cannot enter the market and jeopardise national security, business secrets and citizens’ privacy”, it said.
The memo said that working with China’s space providers operating in low Earth orbit could help Beijing to advance its foreign policy goals and risked having sensitive information handed over to the Chinese government, according to the report.
Advertisement
Officials were advised to warn that Chinese satellite companies may push out other players, potentially “leaving your host country stuck in a monopolistic, Beijing-controlled market”, it said.
The memo also had advice for officials who were asked about the Starlink satellite communications service, which is owned by Elon Musk’s SpaceX. The Defence One article said that some observers found the mention of a specific US company “inappropriate”.