WASHINGTON—The Chinese space program is driven by military objectives, and is part of an effort to displace the United States from its role of global leadership, say experts.
In contrast to the Chinese program, the U.S. space program has been primarily civilian in nature. The United States’ Apollo mission ranks as the most successful noncombatant space program. It was carried out by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Conceived as a civilian project, the aim was to contribute to science and space exploration.
“While China pursues a growing commercial, deep space and space science agenda, the foundation of its space program remains the pursuit of military advantage for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA),” said Richard Fisher, senior fellow, Asian Military Affairs International Assessment and Strategy Center. Fisher was advising the U.S. Economic and Security Review Commission in a hearing on Feb. 18.
“China’s space endeavors are subordinate to the PLA,” he added.
Communist China’s combat intentions in its manned space program was revealed in the first Shenzhou-5 mission in 2005, according to Fisher. His written testimony states, “Astronaut Yang Liwei shared his ship with two optical surveillance cameras.”
China’s new leadership has escaped attention regarding its plans for exploiting space technology for military advantage, but it too sees space as the domain for warfare.
There is evidence that Chinese Communist Party (CCP) Secretary General Xi Jinping has “personally ordered services of the PLA to prepare for space combat,” said Fisher, based on a speech he gave on Dec. 5, 2012 to a military audience. It was not publicized at the time. Xi’s remarks were quoted in a speech in late 2014 by a veteran general that surfaced in a journal article. That reference disappeared soon after.
The motivation behind the space program is to sustain the Chinese Communist Party, and “eventually displace the United States from its position of global leadership,” said Fisher.
