President Donald Trump acknowledged Sunday that China conducts espionage against the United States, while bluntly noting that Washington does the same to Beijing.

His remarks followed a report linking Chinese satellite imagery to an Iranian missile attack that killed three American troops in Jordan.

Trump addressed the report while speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One.

He was asked whether Chinese entities helped Iran obtain detailed images of Muwaffaq Salti Air Base before Tehran launched its deadly July 17 strike.

Trump's Sovereign Wealth Fund: What Could It Mean For Your Money?

The Wall Street Journal reported that Chinese entities allegedly supplied Iran with high resolution satellite imagery of the military installation.

American officials reportedly connected that imagery to the attack, which took the lives of three United States service members.

The report raises serious questions about how commercial or other Chinese intelligence capabilities may be helping hostile governments target American personnel.

That is not some harmless diplomatic parlor game when American troops are coming home in flag covered caskets.

FREE Gun Law Map: Laws Don't Pause During Social Unrest

WATCH:

Trump responded with his trademark directness, refusing to pretend that international espionage is a one sided affair.

"You know what they say? That China spies on us. I say you're right, and we spy on them, too," Trump said.

The president was also asked whether he planned to confront Chinese President Xi Jinping about the alleged assistance when Xi visits the United States.

Trump indicated that relations between the two leaders have remained relatively measured despite fierce competition between their countries.

Trump said Xi has "behaved reasonably well," and that "we behave reasonably well."

WATCH:

The president appeared to frame the matter within the broader reality that both global powers closely monitor each other and pursue their own strategic interests.

Still, the reported connection to Iran moves the issue well beyond routine intelligence gathering.

If Chinese sourced imagery helped Tehran identify positions or vulnerabilities at an American occupied base, that assistance carried potentially lethal consequences rather than merely collecting diplomatic information.

According to the Journal, United States officials described the episode as the clearest evidence so far that support from Chinese entities for Iran during the war produced deadly consequences for American forces.

The finding could add pressure on Washington to determine exactly who provided the imagery.

Officials cited in the report did not identify the Chinese entities allegedly involved.

They also stopped short of accusing the government in Beijing of directly participating in the missile attack, leaving open major questions about authorization, knowledge, and control.

That distinction will matter as the Trump administration weighs its response.

Private companies, government connected organizations, and intelligence services can occupy murky territory in China, where the Communist Party maintains sweeping power and demands cooperation whenever national objectives are involved.

WATCH:

Xi is scheduled to visit Washington on Sept. 24 for a summit with Trump.

The reported imagery transfer could now become another difficult item on an already crowded agenda involving security, trade, technology, military competition, and China's relationship with Iran.

Trump has long argued that successful diplomacy requires direct engagement with rival leaders while preserving American strength.

His comments Sunday suggested that he is not eager to inflate routine spying into public theater, though the deaths of American troops make this particular allegation far more serious.

Administration officials also have not publicly detailed what consequences, if any, could follow for the Chinese entities involved.

For Washington, the immediate challenge is separating ordinary intelligence competition from material assistance that enables attacks on American forces.

Beijing may prefer the familiar fog of deniability, but three dead troops make the need for clear answers impossible to dismiss.

The opinions expressed by contributors and/or content partners are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Objectivist. Contact us for guidelines on submitting your own commentary.