China’s Military Role in Space
As the United States tries to square its commitments in Asia with declining budgetary resources, it is essential that American decision-makers tread carefully with regard to its space capabilities. These global assets are the backbone that allows the US military to fight in the manner to which it is accustomed. Consequently, in the event of a conflict involving the People’s Republic of China (PRC), they are likely to be a primary target. Over the past two decades, the PRC has paid careful attention to how other nations, but especially the United States, fight their wars. Space has consistently been part of the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) thinking about future conflict. At the same time, the PRC has grown from a developing country to the second largest economy in the world, with sufficient resources to create its own substantial space presence. Unlike previous conflicts in the Middle East, the Balkans, and Central Asia, if the United States engages in a conflict in the western Pacific, it will be confronted by a nation with a comprehensive set of space capabilities to counter America’s own. This article reviews the evolution of China’s military thinking and the changing role of space within that context. It briefly examines China’s space capabilities and development before discussing its concepts for military space operations and concludes with future Chinese space operations.
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