Beijing is increasingly acting as the strategic enabler of two revisionist powers — Pakistan and Iran — by helping them build the space-based surveillance capabilities needed to monitor and challenge democratic rivals.

For years, Western policymakers viewed China’s partnerships with Pakistan and Iran primarily through the lenses of trade, energy, and arms sales. That assessment is becoming dangerously outdated.

A growing body of evidence suggests that Beijing is now playing a far more consequential role: helping both Pakistan and Iran develop the space-based surveillance capabilities needed to monitor, track, and potentially target their principal adversaries — India and Israel.

The implications extend far beyond Asia or the Middle East. They point to the emergence of a Chinese-backed intelligence ecosystem that is reshaping the military balance across two of the world’s most volatile regions.

A recent investigation by ThePrint revealed that Pakistan has dramatically expanded its Earth-observation satellite network, launching six satellites between January 2025 and June 2026. Many of these launches were conducted with Chinese assistance, using Chinese rockets and technology. According to Indian experts cited in the report, the constellation is specifically optimized to provide frequent coverage of Indian territory, particularly........

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