US General Says China Has Tripled Number of Surveillance Satellites in 6 Years

The Chinese Communist Party is using the threat of space-based systems to shape U.S. strategic decision making, according to two senior military officials.

A Long March 5 rocket, carrying the Chang'e-6 mission lunar probe, at the Wenchang Space Launch Centre, Hainan Province, China, on May 3, 2024. Hector Retamal/AFP via Getty Images

Communist China has in recent years tripled its number of on-orbit satellites that could be used for intelligence or military purposes, according to a senior U.S. military official.

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has overseen the launching of several hundred satellites for intelligence, surveillance, target acquisition, and reconnaissance purposes, Space Force Gen. Stephen Whiting said during a July 17 talk at the Aspen Institute think tank.