China’s space ambitions
CHINA’S recent successful launch of a two-man space mission means that the country has brought into view the possibility of becoming a great space power on a par with the United States and Russia. Japan and the United States must cooperate closely to tighten their guard against a China that has been accelerating military-led space development.
The manned spaceship, Shenzhou 11, was successfully launched and docked with the unmanned Tiangong 2 experimental space station. A pair of astronauts will conduct scientific experiments within the Tiangong 2 over a period of about 30 days.
This means that China will gear up preparations at full throttle for construction of its own full-scale space station, with completion targeted for around 2022.
The International Space Station, which is operated jointly by Japan, the United States and Europe, among others, will continue its mission until 2024. No decision has been made on what to do thereafter. This will lead to the possibility of China becoming the only nation to possess a space station.
In addition to undertaking repeated exploration of the Moon, China has been planning to tackle the exploration of Mars in an apparent bid to boost its voice in the field of space development. It must be Beijing’s intention to exploit space development to enhance its national prestige.
China advocates peaceful use of space – but there is inconsistency between its words and actions.
The biggest concern of all is that the Chinese defence section is in charge of space development and has appropriated a huge amount of money from the opaque military budget on a priority basis.
It is not unusual for senior military officers to double as chiefs responsible for space development projects. In one case, a senior official in charge of lunar exploration also serves as a leader of the Strategic Support Force that has been created as a result of the reorganisation of the Chinese military.
Space exploration and development of space technology are two sides of the same coin. Improvement in spacecraft control capabilities, including docking technology, is useful to ensure accurate guidance of ballistic missiles.
China pushed through with a satellite destruction test using a ballistic missile in 2007, scattering a vast quantity of fragments in space. In a test conducted in 2014, China is said to have collected data to enhance its combat capabilities.
China has been proceeding with building the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS), its own version of the Global Positioning System, which is believed to be able to cover the entire world around 2020. The BDS is indispensable to integrated operation of the People’s Liberation Army’s ground, sea and air forces plus the Rocket Force that has jurisdiction over ballistic missiles.
Seeing the US military’s precision guided attacks in the Iraq War, among other developments, China is said to have hastened the creation of its own navigation satellite system that does not rely on the GPS of the United States.
The administration of Chinese President Xi Jinping has been building military strongholds in the South China Sea and going ahead with coercive maritime advances also in the East China Sea. If China tries to secure command of space on top of maritime and air supremacy, it will only lead to the international community further intensifying its distrust of China.
The defence authorities of Japan and the US have established the Space Cooperation Working Group and held discussions on countermeasures. It is essential for them to promote information sharing concerning China’s moves in space.