China’s Space Policy: An Australian Perspective

Abstract

China’s rapid rise in strategic power extends into the domain of space. That space exploration is bound to continue, but for Beijing, space is ever more important for defence and for growing comprehensive national power to challenge US leadership. China aims to become the dominant space actor by 2049, a status which will encompass both military capability in space, as well as “presence” on key astrostrategic locations within the Earth-Moon system. For the United States, this challenge, although not—yet—a “space race” in the context of Apollo and the US–Soviet space race of the 1960s, looms large and may become significant as China builds astrostrategic power. For Australia, China’s growing capabilities in space, particularly its military space capabilities, are driving new policy development in relation to Australian space capability.