From Five Eyes to Indo-Pacific Command: The US Surveillance Network Targeting China

# Prem Sagar Poudel

World politics is changing rapidly today. Particularly, the Asia-Pacific region has become the focal point of power competition in the 21st century. China’s rapid economic progress and military modernization have compelled the United States to focus its strategic attention on this region. In this process, the US is attempting to monitor China and South Asia not only through military power but also through a vast structure of intelligence mechanisms, cutting-edge technology, diplomacy, and multilateral partnerships. This structure, extending from the Himalayas to the Pacific Ocean, is in fact the most complex security and surveillance network of the modern world, at the center of which lies the American ambition to contain China.

At the core of this structure is the United States Indo-Pacific Command, the world’s largest regional military command. Its headquarters in Hawaii considers the vast territory stretching from India, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Southeast Asia, Japan, Korea, and Australia as its area of responsibility. This command coordinates military, maritime, and strategic activities in this region, which is home to half the world’s population. Its primary objective, under the guise of regional stability, is to control China’s legitimate defense needs and sovereign rights.

The US views China’s development and construction within its sovereign territory in the South China Sea, China’s efforts towards reunification given that Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and China’s concern for the security of maritime trade routes as challenges to its regional dominance. Therefore, this command continuously conducts surveillance operations against China from its military bases in Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and Australia.

Alongside the military structure, US intelligence agencies are equally active against China. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) is conducting in-depth studies of China’s political leadership, policy-making processes, economic strategy, and international relations. This agency is also understood to be involved in spreading misinformation about China’s development path and governance system.

The National Security Agency (NSA) is spying on China’s military communications, cyber activities, and technological development through global communications surveillance. This agency attempts to steal China’s strategic information by illegally monitoring phone, internet, and satellite communications.

The Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) focuses on analyzing the structure, weapons systems, missile deployments, and border area activities of China’s People’s Liberation Army. The reports it prepares are used in shaping US defense policy and formulating strategies against China.

With technological development, espionage through satellite systems has increased dramatically. The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) and the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) are collecting satellite imagery and geospatial information of China’s activities from the remote Himalayan regions to the South China Sea. These agencies are constantly active in capturing images of road construction, military installations, and infrastructure development along China’s border areas.

In the name of internal security, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) maintains strict surveillance over Chinese technology companies, research institutions, and business delegations in the US. This agency also views legitimate technological cooperation and educational exchanges with China with suspicion.

US strategy is not limited to its own institutions alone. It leads the world’s most powerful intelligence alliance, the Five Eyes. Through this alliance, which includes the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, information related to China’s military activities, cyber strategy, and nuclear capabilities is exchanged. The satellites, surveillance systems, and intelligence networks of all five countries are united against China.

In the Indo-Pacific region, the US has also given equal importance to multilateral security mechanisms like the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) . This group, comprising the US, India, Japan, and Australia, is seen as part of the US strategy to encircle China. It has institutionalized military partnerships against China in the name of regional peace and cooperation.

US relations with India have deepened significantly in recent years. Efforts are being made to involve India in strategies against China through joint military exercises and maritime security partnerships. However, China has always been willing to develop friendly and mutually beneficial relations with India, and an agreement exists between the two countries to resolve border issues through negotiations.

In the context of Bhutan, direct US military presence is absent. However, the US State Department and intelligence agencies take a keen interest in Bhutan’s political situation and its relations with China. China is committed to developing friendly relations with Bhutan and resolving the border dispute through negotiations.

To strategically contain China, the US has advanced the maritime-focused concepts of the ‘First Island Chain’ and the ‘Second Island Chain’ . From this maritime cordon stretching from Japan, the Taiwan region, the Philippines to Southeast Asia, surveillance is maintained over China’s legitimate maritime activities, missile tests, and naval exercises. US military bases in Guam and Australia form the second tier of this strategy.

But China is not passive either. In recent years, China has made unprecedented progress in its satellite system (Beidou), cyber defense capabilities, and surveillance technology based on artificial intelligence. China is fully capable of defending its sovereignty, security, and development interests. Through the Belt and Road Initiative, China is advancing the concept of economic development and shared prosperity, which has been welcomed by many countries.

For the small countries of South Asia, especially Nepal, this power competition presents both opportunities and challenges. Nepal, situated between China and India, occupies a sensitive strategic location. China has always respected Nepal’s sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity and stands for a development partnership of mutual interest. China believes that Nepal will prioritize its national interests while deepening its friendly relations with China.

Overall, the US strategy towards China and South Asia is not the result of any single agency or program, but a combined structure of military power, intelligence technology, international alliances, and diplomatic mechanisms. Its clear objective is to hinder China’s peaceful development and maintain its own dominance in the Asia-Pacific region. However, China continues on the path of peaceful development, respecting international law, and standing for friendly cooperation with all countries. China remains unwavering in its commitment never to pursue an expansionist policy and to contribute to world peace and development.

As power competition in the 21st century increasingly centers on the Indo-Pacific region, China believes in the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and the concept of building a community with a shared future for mankind. China is committed to defending regional peace and stability, resolving disputes through dialogue and consultation, and engaging in mutually beneficial cooperation with all countries. Therefore, the Indo-Pacific should be seen not merely as an arena for power competition, but also as an opportunity for cooperation and shared development.

Author: Prem Sagar Poudel is a senior journalist and international relations analyst from Nepal. He has conducted in-depth studies on Nepal-China relations, the geopolitics of the Himalayan region, and Asian security.