China cracks down on 'illegal' weather stations, new target in anti-espionage effort

Recently Yahoo News on-line reported the following:

中国、「違法な」測候所を取り締まり　スパイ防止活動の新たな標的に

2023.11.02 Thu posted at 18:30 JST

香港（ＣＮＮ） 中国が国内にある複数の測候所の取り締まりに動いていることが２日までに分かった。外国のためのスパイ活動を行っているというのがその理由だ。地政学的な緊張が高まる中、習近平（シーチンピン）国家主席の下で展開する広範なスパイ防止活動の最新の措置となる。

中国国家安全部は１０月３１日、違法と位置づける測候所をこれまで数百カ所発見していることを明らかにした。これらの測候所は外国とつながりがあり、リアルタイムの気象データを国外へ送っているという。これはデータにまつわる複数の規定に違反し、国家安全保障を危うくする行為とされる。

当該の測候所は２０以上の省で見つかった。中には「外国政府から直接資金提供を受けている」施設もある。国家安全部がソーシャルメディア上の声明で明らかにした。

一部の測候所は軍事基地や国防企業など機密に関わる施設の周辺に設置され、標高やＧＰＳ（全地球測位システム）データの特定に利用されていた。また主要な穀物生産地帯には、別の複数の測候所が穀物の生育や収穫高の分析のために設置されているという。

測候に使用する機器の中には、小型で簡単に設置できるものがある。これらは発見が難しく、自動的にデータを収集し、ネットワークを通じてリアルタイムで送信可能な仕組みになっている。

一部の測候所は、リアルタイムの情報を国外の気象機関に高頻度で送信していた。長期にわたる送信も多数の箇所で行われていたと声明は指摘。諸外国の「国土安全保障」及び気象観測に役立っていたと付け加えた。

国家安全部は、具体的にどの国が関与しているかは明言しなかった。

今回の発見に先駆け、気象観測装置を扱う国外の仲介業者１０社以上を対象とした調査並びに外国とつながりのある全国の測候所３０００カ所以上に対する捜索が行われた。

関連する外国側の当事者は、活動に当たって行政の許可を受けていなかった。収集したデータは中国の気象当局に提出することなく、承認を得ない形で国外に送信していたという。

外国の当事者が中国国内で気象データを収集し、中国当局がこれに異議を唱える事例は以前にも起きている。

２０１２年、米大使館が中国国内の大気の質に関するデータを記録、公開した際には、中国政府がそうした行為の停止を要求した。

今年初めには中国の偵察気球が米大陸を横断し、軍事関連施設の上空で空中静止するなどの事象が発生していた。この気球は米軍によって撃墜された。

中国側は気球について、民間のもので調査目的だと主張。主に気象関係の調査を行っていたところ計画していた経路を外れたとし、米軍による撃墜は過剰反応だと非難していた。

Translation

Hong Kong (CNN) It was learned on the 2nd that China was cracking down on several weather stations in the country. The reason was that the stations were conducting espionage activities for foreign countries. The move was the latest in a wide-ranging anti-espionage effort under President Xi Jinping as geopolitical tensions rise.

China's Ministry of State Security announced on October 31 that it had discovered hundreds of weather stations that it considered as illegal. These weather stations were said to have connections with foreign countries and send real-time weather data overseas. This was considered as an act that related to the violation of multiple data-related regulations and endangering national security.

Such weather stations were found in more than 20 provinces. Some facilities were "directly funded by foreign governments." This was made known by the Ministry of State Security in a statement on social media.

Some weather stations were installed near sensitive facilities, such as military bases and defense companies, also altitude, and global positioning system (GPS) data were specifically used. Several other weather stations had also been set up in major grain production areas for the purpose of analyzing grain growth and yields.

Some equipment used for weather measurement were small and easy to install. These systems were difficult to discover and were designed to automatically collect data and sent it across networks in real time.

Some weather stations frequently sent real-time information to meteorological agencies overseas. The statement also pointed out that the transmissions occurred over a long period of time in many locations. It added that it was useful for "homeland security" and weather observation in other countries.

The Ministry of State Security did not specify which countries were involved.

Prior to this discovery, investigations were conducted over more than 10 foreign intermediaries that handled weather observation equipment, as well as searching more than 3,000 weather stations across the country with ties to foreign countries.

The foreign parties involved did not have administrative permission for their activities. The collected data was not submitted to China's meteorological authorities and was sent outside the country without approval.

There had been previous cases where foreign parties collected weather data in China and the Chinese authorities raised objection.

In 2012, when the U.S. embassy recorded and released data on air quality in China, the Chinese government demanded an end to the practice.

Earlier this year, a Chinese reconnaissance balloon crossed the continental United States and hovered over military facilities. This balloon was shot down by the US military.

China insisted that this balloon was private and for research purposes. They said it was mainly conducting weather-related research when it deviated from the planned route, and criticized its shooting down by the US military as an overreaction.

So, China is cracking down on several foreign weather stations as it thinks that espionage activities for foreign countries are being conducted. It is interesting to note that previously in 2012, when the U.S. embassy recorded and released data on air quality in China, the Chinese government demanded to stop the practice. It seems that in China weather data could be a national secret.