China's Space Export Strategy

Abstract

China views promoting space exports as a key national priority and is devoting considerable energy toward boosting its market share in the global space economy. This is yielding dividends, helping China become a major space exporter of satellites, launch services, and space data. This paper will examine the strategic rationale for China's expanding sales of satellites, space launch services, and space data, an understudied element of Chinese foreign policy. It will conclude that Beijing's sale of space products is strengthening China's national power by building technical dependencies, bolstering international prestige and cultural influence, accelerating the global adoption of Chinese technology, and proliferating space systems that China can sometimes access.