China security · April 2026

A Financial Times report claims Iran used a Chinese spy satellite to monitor and target US military bases in the Middle East, with the US military confirming around 400 troops were wounded in Iranian reprisal strikes. China has denied the report, calling it 'completely false'. The report says Iran acquired the satellite, Gaofen-4, while it was already in orbit. Trump's Hormuz blockade risks a showdown with China before a summit with Xi, as Chinese-linked tankers challenge the naval cordon. China moves to block access to a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, according to satellite images. A Chinese man was jailed for trying to smuggle 2,200 ants out of Kenya in his luggage. A massive fire broke out at a BYD factory in Shenzhen, China; no casualties were reported.