China’s Rising Space Power and the CCP’s Survival in the Indo-Pacific Era

Abstract:China has developed space capabilities with astonishing speed and scope, inviting both admiration and concern. China’s space development spans scientific exploration, business applications, and humanitarian, military, and diplomatic purposes. The existing studies on China’s space capabilities tend to focus on just one of these areas and do not provide a comprehensive understanding of how and why China has been determined in its pursuit of space. This study addresses China’s motivation by analyzing Chinese official documents and other supporting documents and information. At its crux, this study argues that China is driven to develop its space capabilities because they support the Chinese Communist Party’s longevity in power by strengthening its legitimacy to rule the nation.