China warns of covert mapping by foreign forces to steal sensitive geodata

SCMP | Jan. 13, 2026, 8 p.m. | Original
VID

China has warned that the improper storage and transmission of classified mapping data could endanger national security. Photo: Shutterstock

China’s top counter-espionage agency has warned that overseas entities are attempting to steal the country’s geographic data through covert mapping operations that threaten national security.
Foreign “anti-China hostile forces ” have been deploying “various clandestine methods” to gather, steal and exploit China’s foundational mapping and geographic information, the Ministry of State Security said in a social media article on Tuesday.

It said the data, crucial for infrastructure planning, resource management and military operations, was “under constant threat from covert espionage activities aimed at undermining China’s national security”.

China has been ramping up its efforts to govern cyberspace and has elevated data security to a national priority amid its growing rivalry with the United States .

In the article, the ministry detailed multiple risks and pathways through which geographic data had been leaked or compromised, often due to insider negligence or flawed procedures.

One significant concern is the improper storage and transmission of classified mapping data. For example, there have been documented cases involving surveyors who have illegally transferred sensitive data to networked computers or cloud storage platforms, risking unauthorised access, according to the ministry.

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