Ministry of National Security of China: Hundreds of illegal foreign-related weather detection sites transmit data overseas

Since the beginning of this year, national security agencies, together with meteorological and confidentiality departments, have carried out special crackdowns on foreign-related meteorological detections nationwide in accordance with the law, investigated more than 10 overseas meteorological equipment agents, inspected more than 3,000 foreign-related meteorological stations, and found hundreds of illegal foreign-related meteorological detections. The site transmits meteorological data overseas in real time and is widely distributed in more than 20 provinces across the country, posing potential risks to our national security.

Illegal meteorological detection equipment installed by an overseas company

Some of these illegal foreign-related meteorological detection sites are directly funded by overseas governments. Some observation points are set up around sensitive places such as military units and military industrial enterprises for altitude approval and GPS positioning. Some are located in China’s major grain-producing areas and are related to Analyze the growth of our crops and grain yield; some are even transmitted to foreign official meteorological agencies in real time at high frequency and at multiple points to serve foreign homeland security and meteorological monitoring. The relevant equipment is small in size, easy to install, difficult to find, and can automatically collect and transmit over the network in real time. For relevant foreign-related meteorological detection activities, they failed to apply for an administrative license for foreign-related meteorological detection from our meteorological authorities, failed to submit meteorological data to our meteorological authorities, and transmitted meteorological data overseas without the approval of our meteorological authorities, violating the “Foreign-related Meteorological Observations and Data” “Administrative Measures”, “Data Security Law” and other relevant regulations. National security agencies, in conjunction with meteorological and confidentiality departments, investigate and deal with relevant illegal activities in accordance with the law, and promptly block illegal activities of exporting meteorological data.

1. Meteorological data is basic data. Common types include daily observation data, satellite data, radar data, etc. It is an integral element of information security and resource security and is closely related to military security, food security, ecological security, climate change, and public interests. , the illegal collection and cross-border transmission of meteorological data endangers China’s national sovereignty, security, and development interests.
2. In order to maintain the security of meteorological data in accordance with the law, in 2022, the China Meteorological Administration, the Ministry of National Security, and the National Secrecy Administration jointly issued the “Foreign-related Meteorological Detection and Data Management Measures”, which clearly stipulates that the establishment of foreign-related meteorological detection stations requires administrative licensing, and no foreign-related meteorological detection stations are allowed to be established without permission. Establish foreign-related meteorological detection stations; foreign-related meteorological detection stations are not allowed to be established in areas with national defense and military facilities, areas not yet open to the outside world, key project construction areas and other areas involving national security; those who violate relevant regulations will be ordered to stop illegal activities, make corrections within a time limit, and be given Warning or fine; if a crime is constituted, criminal liability shall be pursued in accordance with the law.
3. When carrying out meteorological detection activities, any citizen or organization should tighten the strings of national security, effectively protect meteorological detection data, and shall not illegally collect and cross-border data related to national security and interests for overseas purposes. If illegal foreign-related meteorological data detection activities are discovered, you can report to the national security agency through the 12339 report acceptance hotline, the Ministry of National Security WeChat public account report acceptance platform, or report to the meteorological department through other means.