Beijing Intelligence Behind Moscow's Missiles: BeiDou, The Pillar of the Global Anti-Hegemonic Bloc

The accusation by the Ukrainian intelligence official, Oleh Aleksandrov, that China is supplying Russia with targeted satellite intelligence for missile attacks, is not an isolated incident but the operational realization of a long-term Chinese technological strategy known as "Military-Civil Fusion" (軍民融合). This strategy aims to solidify an anti-hegemonic bloc built around the BeiDou (北斗) system, which achieved full formation on September 19, 2024.

The core of the alliance lies in establishing spatial resilience for Russia to overcome the vulnerabilities of its own GLONASS system (only about 12 operational satellites in 2022 and inferior precision). The interoperability, formalized in 2015, was designed for low-cost, rapid adoption by military forces, allowing joint use on a "single terminal device".

The BeiDou system is controlled by military figures (such as Major General Wang Zhaoyao), and its technical capabilities—precise positioning, satellite communication, and remote monitoring (遙測監控)—support the PLA's "Joint Operations Command" doctrine. The system's growth is a source of "great concern to the United States".

The pattern of Chinese support is clear: from enabling Russian missile strikes targeting foreign investment in Ukraine to supporting allies like Iran in migrating from the vulnerable GPS system, BeiDou is the strategic technological enabler for this emerging geopolitical bloc.

The Beidou Navigation Satellite System is displayed at the China Aerospace Institute 513 in Yantai High-tech Zone, East China's Shandong Province, Jan 24, 2022. (Photo credit should read Costfoto/Future Publishing via Getty Images)

The Architecture of the Alliance: Institutional Cooperation and Technological Supremacy

The Sino-Russian partnership is built on meticulous institutional planning, elevating BeiDou to a strategic global infrastructure.

Geopolitical and Infrastructural Integration

• The Foundational Agreement (2015): The "Joint Declaration on the Compatibility and Interoperability between China's BeiDou and Russia's GLONASS Systems)" on May 8, 2015, marked the first governmental document of its kind for BeiDou, facilitating low-cost mass production of dual-use receivers for military and commercial adoption.

• Wartime Contracts (September 2022): In the midst of the war, contracts were signed for the reciprocal positioning of ground monitoring stations (CORS).

  • Russian Installations in China: Shanghai (上海), Urumqi (乌鲁木齐), and Changchun (长春).

  • Chinese Installations in Russia: Obninsk, Irkutsk, and Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky. These installations are crucial for signal calibration and precision in military applications.

• Long-Term Planning: The alliance is guided by a 2021-2025 roadmap and overseen by the Subcommittee for Cooperation on Satellite Navigation (October 2023).

• Technological Supremacy: BeiDou-3 (北斗三號), which achieved full formation on September 19, 2024, has 58 satellites in orbit and offers a unique short message communication (短報文通訊傳輸) capability of up to 1,200 characters, essential for tactical communications.

Intelligence and Operational Support in Ukraine: The Anti-Hegemony Kill Chain

Chinese support addresses Russian operational shortcomings, providing the precise capabilities necessary for modern warfare doctrine.

Bridging the GLONASS Deficiencies

• GLONASS Limitations (ГЛОНАСС): The Russian system is hampered by an incomplete network (only 12 operational satellites in 2022) and inferior precision.

• Resilience Provided by BeiDou: Interoperability, guaranteed by reciprocal ground stations, provides Russia with spatial redundancy and crucial anti-jamming capability, ensuring stable and precise positioning for combat missions.

Intelligence and Tactical Application

• Targeting Enablement (ISR): China provides satellite intelligence for Russia's deep reconnaissance (ISR) operations, directly enhancing the lethality of missile attacks.

• The Joint Operations Model: This intelligence is integrated into the Russian military's command structure, reflecting the PLA's doctrine of "Information Warfare" (信息戰).

  • Targeting Foreign Investment (Commercial Intelligence): The Russian strategy of targeting strategic sites with foreign investment (e.g., the U.S.-owned factory hit in Transcarpathia) demonstrates a geopolitical use of spatial intelligence to deter Western economic engagement.

  • Tactical Precision: The system ensures the accuracy of guided munitions (導引砲彈) and missiles used by the Rocket Force (火箭軍) in line with the goal of "strategic deterrence, nuclear and conventional" (核常兼備).

Intelligence, Diplomacy, and the Anti-Hegemonic Bloc: The Global Proof

The support model implemented for Russia is part of a deliberate strategy to establish a global technological bloc, with the Iran case serving as powerful evidence of its consistency in conflict zones.

The Iran Case: Fleeing GPS Vulnerability

Iran's accelerated pivot toward BeiDou confirms the system's role in security autonomy for allies:

• GPS Vulnerability in War: During the June 2025 Iran-Israel conflict, repeated GPS signal interruptions and spoofing (GPS欺骗) in the Persian Gulf exposed the system's weaknesses. This instability jeopardizes military and civilian operations alike, confirming the necessity of technological sovereignty (技术主权).

• BeiDou's Strategic Advantage: Iran is migrating due to BeiDou's superior precision in Asia (up to decimeter-level for encrypted military signal) and its advanced anti-interference capability (through frequency hopping - 跳频技术).

• Dual-Use Model: The commercial success of BeiDou's CORS stations (连续运行参考站) for precision agriculture (as seen in Pakistan) serves as the blueprint for Iran, providing critical high-precision infrastructure with direct military and logistical applications.

Conclusion: The New Technological Iron Curtain

The geopolitical alliance involving China, Russia, and Iran (which signed a 25-year comprehensive cooperation agreement in 2021) is actively constructing a technological alternative to the U.S.-led infrastructure.

• Global Bloc Formation: BeiDou (北斗), as the engine of the "Digital Silk Road" (一帶一路), is offered as a public product (公共产品) and is adopted by over 140 nations, including Saudi Arabia (沙特阿拉伯). This adoption confirms the formation of a global anti-hegemonic bloc.

• Final Statement: The Sino-Russo-Iranian space axis demonstrates that control over space and navigation information is a decisive factor in modern great power competition. BeiDou is not merely a navigation system; it is the pillar of intelligence and national security for allies, defining the boundaries of a new technological iron curtain that spans the globe's main crisis theaters.