Trump Says China ‘Spies on Us’ After Report Links Chinese Satellite Imagery to Deadly Iran Strike
President Donald Trump acknowledged that China conducts surveillance against the United States after a new report linked satellite imagery supplied by Chinese entities to an Iranian missile attack that killed three American service members in Jordan.
Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump was asked about allegations that Chinese entities provided Iran with high-resolution images of Muwaffaq Salti Air Base before and after Tehran attacked the installation on July 17.
“You know what they say? That China spies on us,” Trump said, before adding that the United States conducts intelligence operations against China as well. “They basically do what we do,” he said.
U.S. officials have linked Chinese-supplied satellite imagery to the Iranian ballistic missile strike, which hit a housing area used by American troops. Three U.S. service members were killed and four others were wounded in the attack.
Officials have not publicly identified the specific Chinese entities believed to have supplied the imagery connected to the July attack, and they have not accused the Chinese government of directly participating in planning the strike. Iran reportedly obtained images of the base both before and after the attack.
The Trump administration had already raised concerns about Chinese satellite companies providing imagery to Iran earlier in the conflict. In May, the administration imposed sanctions on several China-based entities that it said were supplying satellite imagery that enabled Iranian military strikes against American forces in the Middle East.
American officials are also investigating whether Chinese imagery may be helping Iran track U.S. naval forces. Tehran has attempted to strike American warships during the conflict, increasing concerns about foreign technology being used to improve Iran’s targeting capabilities.
China has rejected accusations suggesting that Beijing is responsible for Iran’s military actions. Chinese officials have maintained that the country complies with its international obligations and have challenged U.S. officials to provide evidence supporting allegations involving Chinese entities.
Despite the latest controversy, Trump emphasized his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping and said the two leaders have behaved “reasonably well” toward one another. Trump and Xi are expected to meet later this month, although Trump did not directly say whether he intends to confront Xi over the satellite imagery allegations.
The incident adds another issue to an already complicated U.S.-China relationship as Washington continues its military campaign against Iran. It also highlights the growing role commercial satellite imagery can play in modern warfare, where relatively current images can help militaries identify targets, monitor deployments and assess the results of previous attacks.