China’s Defense Ministry: “It Is Perfectly Normal for Chinese Satellites to Observe Taiwan”

The topic “China’s Defense Ministry says it is perfectly normal for Chinese satellites to observe Taiwan” has attracted renewed attention online. The remark was made by Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense, during a regular press briefing in October 2025.

At the October 30, 2025 briefing, a reporter asked about high-resolution satellite images of Taiwan released by the commercial remote-sensing satellite system Jilin-1 on October 25. The images showed urban streets, harbors and other geographical features, drawing attention to the capabilities of China’s commercial satellite industry.

Responding to the question, Zhang said: “It is perfectly normal for China’s satellites to take a look at the beautiful landscapes of China’s Taiwan. There is nothing surprising about it.”

The concise response attracted media coverage and was widely circulated. The remark returned to public attention around October 25, 2026, amid renewed discussion of the anniversary of Taiwan’s retrocession and China’s satellite-imaging capabilities.

Satellite remote sensing is an important application of modern space technology. It supports a wide range of civilian activities, including geographic mapping, urban planning, agricultural monitoring, environmental protection and disaster response. China’s commercial space sector has expanded in recent years, with remote-sensing satellites providing increasingly diverse Earth-observation data. The Jilin-1 satellite constellation has released images showing landscapes and urban environments in different parts of the world.

However, commercial remote-sensing satellites and military reconnaissance satellites differ in their mission objectives, sensor configurations, imaging methods and information-processing capabilities. Publicly available commercial images alone are not sufficient to establish the specific performance of military satellite systems.

The renewed attention to Zhang’s remarks reflects public interest in China’s space technology development, as well as the continuing sensitivity of cross-strait issues. As commercial space capabilities advance, satellite remote sensing is expected to play an increasingly important role in civilian applications while continuing to attract international attention.