China's state security ministry unveils espionage disguised as wind measurement tower construction

A few individual companies with ties to foreign intelligence agencies have quietly infiltrated areas around China's important confidential sites under the guise of building anemometer towers for wind measurement, and have illegally collected and secretly transmitted sensitive data overseas, posing a threat to China's state security, China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) revealed on Sunday.

An anemometer tower is a tall, tower-like structure used to measure wind speed, wind direction, and other meteorological data. Wind speed meters, wind vanes for measurement of the wind's direction, as well as thermometers and barometers, are installed at various positions on the tower. It can provide reference data for meteorological observation and atmospheric environment monitoring, according to an article published by the MSS on its official WeChat account on Sunday.

A resident from a coastal city filed a report through the state security agency's reporting hotline 12339 that a company had illegally constructed an anemometer tower near a confidential facility, which might be used to illegally collect sensitive data.

The state security agency immediately conducted a technical inspection of the tower in accordance with the law upon learning of the situation.

They found that in addition to collecting meteorological data, the tower's various devices also had the capabilities to analyze and transmit the data. If the data were leaked to overseas agents, they could pose risks to China's state security, the article said.

Thus, the state security agency quickly coordinated with relevant departments and promptly prevented the leakage of sensitive information, according to the article.

In another case revealed by the state security ministry, a wind measurement tower near a certain scientific research base aroused suspicion among relevant authorities who reported to the local state security agency that the tower might be involved in illegally collecting and transmitting China's meteorological data to overseas.

After a thorough inspection, the state security agency found that the wind measurement tower had not gone through proper legal registrations, and its data transmission routes were complex, posing significant security risks. State security agency promptly collaborated with relevant departments to dismantle the tower in accordance with laws.

The state security ministry warned that according to the Measures for Foreign-Related Meteorological Observation and Data Management, no foreign-related meteorological observation stations (sites) shall be set up in areas of defense and military installations or in military sensitive areas, nor in areas not yet open to the outside, nor in areas of major construction projects or other areas involving national security.

The measures also stipulate that without approval, no organization or individual shall provide overseas organizations, institutions or individuals with meteorological observation places or meteorological data, or provide by any means other organizations or individuals with meteorological data involving state secrets or publish the same.

Between January and October in 2023, the state security agency collaborated with the meteorological, and other relevant departments to conduct a nationwide special campaign against foreign-related meteorological detection. Over 10 agents from foreign meteorological equipment companies were investigated, and more than 3,000 foreign-related meteorological stations were inspected. Through the inspection, they found hundreds of illegal foreign-related meteorological detection stations, distributed in more than 20 provincial-level regions across the country, transmitting real-time meteorological data to overseas, posing significant risks to the state security, the MSS revealed on its official WeChat account last October.

According to the ministry, meteorological data commonly includes routine observation data, satellite data and radar information. These data constitute information security and resource security and are closely related to military, food and ecological security, climate change and public interests. The illegal collection and cross-border transmission of meteorological data pose threats to China's sovereignty, security and development interests.

Experts noted that in addition to civilian meteorological data, there is also military meteorological data, the value of which is similar to that of the geographical data used in military. Both military meteorological data and geographical data serve as the basis for the precise deployment of military operations. Protecting meteorological data is equivalent to safeguarding China's military defense lines.

The meteorological data for military purpose have a strategic dimension in terms of military use and the protection of the confidentiality of the meteorological data is, in fact, a very important part of safeguarding the state security, Li Wei, a research fellow and security expert from the China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times on Sunday.

In addition to meteorological data, space data from outer space and stratospheric data also have a significant impact on military operations and weaponry in various aspects, Li said.

It is traditionally believed that the conventional areas such as politics, military and diplomacy are closely related to the state security. However, we can now see from our country's comprehensive state security concept that there are more and more non-traditional areas such as space, oceans, climate and the environment that are also closely related to the state security. Therefore, we cannot only focus on traditional security threats, but also must pay close attention to and remain vigilant against non-traditional security threats, Li added.