The Facts

• China Wednesday claimed foreign agencies were spying on its space program as a new "battlefield for military struggle" emerged. In an article posted on WeChat, the country's State Security Ministry said "some Western countries" deem China "a major competitor" in the space sector.

• The ministry alleged that some countries had tried “infiltration and espionage activities,” including inducements, bribery, networking, or even coercion of Chinese researchers. It said they aimed to steal the country's cutting-edge aerospace technology and emphasized caution.

• The WeChat article reportedly accused these Western powers of all-out efforts to jeopardize China's aerospace operations. The country's security agencies have reportedly thwarted such attempts by foreign intelligence agencies and uncovered their illegalities.