China’s Expanding Space And Arctic Reach Raises Western Concerns
As the world moves closer to The Matrix,ย China is moving closer to Star Wars.ย The country’s drive to gain autonomy in critical technologies has pushed it deeper into space, the deep sea and the Arctic, according to a new article from theย South China Morning Post.
After the Yinhe incident and later exclusion from Europeโs Galileo programme, Beijing built the BeiDou navigation system, now a 64-satellite network used over a trillion times daily. This move from dependence to autonomy now defines its national strategy. Recent five-year plans highlight deep-sea, polar and aerospace projects as โforward-looking and strategic,โ and aim to make China a โmajor space power,โ including an โice Silk Roadโ to strengthen its polar role.
Analysts say Chinaโs capabilities now rival global leaders. Li Hanming says โChinaโs space technology is at the same level as other leading players, such as the European Union, United States or Russia.โ
BeiDou sits alongside other global navigation systems, and Tiangong mirrors the ISS. Commercial progress is rapid as well: LandSpace is testing a reusable first-stage rocket, prompting US worries. Brigadier General Brian Sidari warned it would be โconcerning once they figure out that reusable lift,โ since it could enable large satellite constellations. Chinaโs Qianfan system has about 90 satellites but aims for 15,000 by 2030.
China’s Echo Base, On Hoth
SCMP writes thatย Chinaโs Arctic footprint is also expanding. The Tan Suo San Hao recently completed another Arctic mission, with state media saying China is now the only country capable of continuous manned deep-sea dives in dense Arctic ice zones. New icebreakers, research stations and private cruise operations bolster its presence.
Europe fears it is losing ground; a Mercator Institute study warned that โChina’s footprint in the Arctic and space demands urgent attention,โ citing risks to security and access to key minerals and energy. Katja Bego notes Europeโs slow investment has โhelped open the door to actors with fewer scruples, such as China.โ
Chinaโs growing cooperation with Russia heightens these concerns. The two plan a joint lunar base and a lunar nuclear power plant, with Russian Arctic expertise complementing Chinaโs ambitions. As Merics observed, โRussia’s contributions in the Arctic and space are substantial, and in many cases complementary to China’s capabilities.โ
Western confidence in its technological lead is starting to waver. Charles Austin Jordan said, โThat sentiment is primed to turn very quickly โฆ even moderate progress by China โฆ could quickly ignite severe anxieties.โ Chinese experts argue the fears are exaggerated. Shan Guangcun says China is focused on reducing vulnerability after repeated restrictions: โBreaking through in these areas means freeing Beijing from dependence on others in core technologies,โ and โEnsuring technological autonomy โฆ has become a cornerstone of national security.โ
He attributes Western reactions to shifting power dynamics, ideology and real concerns, saying โSome of the West’s anxiety reflects a natural wariness โฆ some stems from ideological bias โฆ some is based on genuine security concerns.โ Li Hanming adds the US sees threat partly because โhistorically they themselves used space technology as a tool of deterrence.โ
Tyler Durden
Tue, 11/18/2025 – 05:45
