China’s ‘GW’ Project Aimed at Countering Elon Musk’s Starlink

SpaceX founder and Tesla CEO Elon Musk speaks on a screen during the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona, Spain, on June 29, 2021. Nacho Doce/Reuters

Starlink, which is operated by SpaceX and has played a huge role in the Russian-Ukrainian war, has caused the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) great concern. The Chinese regime has now revealed plans to counter Starlink with a project codenamed “GW.” However, whether China actually has the capability to compete with Elon Musk’s Starlink in any way, shape, or form is questionable.

Recently, the CCP’s leading military research institute published an article saying that Starlink’s nearly 42,000 low-orbiting satellites are capable of providing high-speed internet and have great military potential, which poses a huge threat to the CCP’s space program. The article pointed out that is it necessary for China to find a way to counter Starlink.

CCP Seeks to Surpass Starlink

According to the CCP’s researchers, Chinese satellite company “China Satellite Network Group Co.” can construct China’s low-orbiting satellite network, which will be codenamed GW. China Satellite Network Group was established on April 28, 2021, directly by the State Council of the CCP to coordinate the deployment and operation of satellite communications. It has been revealed that the company is expected to launch nearly 13,000 low-orbit satellites.