Chinese State Media slams Elon Musk and US' Spy satellite program

Chinese military and state-run media on Sunday accused the United States of threatening global security, days after a Reuters report which found Elon Musk's SpaceX was building hundreds of spy satellites for a U.S. intelligence agency.

SpaceX's Starshield unit is developing the satellite network under a classified $1.8 billion contract with the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), reporting news agency citing five sources familiar with the programme.

A social media account run by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) said the SpaceX program exposed the United States' "shamelessness and double standards" as Washington accuses Chinese tech companies of threatening U.S. security.

"We urge U.S. companies to not help a villain do evil," said Junzhengping, on an account run by the PLA, posted on social media platform Weibo on Sunday.

 "All countries worldwide should be vigilant and protect against new and even bigger security threats created by the U.S. government," the post said.

In response to the Starshield project becoming public knowledge, the NRO acknowledged its mission to develop space-based surveillance systems, but declined to comment on the extent of SpaceX's involvement.

SpaceX, the world's largest satellite operator, did not make a comment about the project.

The planned Starshield network is separate from Starlink, SpaceX's growing commercial broadband constellation that has about 5,500 satellites in space to provide near-global internet to consumers, companies and government agencies.

Chinese researchers in the PLA have over the past two years studied the deployment of Starlink in the war in Ukraine and repeatedly warned about the risks it poses to China.

China has said it also plans to start building its own satellite constellations.