Red Skies

China’s deepening space partnership with the European Union presents an immediate national security dilemma for the U.S., since advanced technologies shared by cooperative EU nations would almost certainly enhance the communist dictatorship’s military modernization and intelligence programs, thus compromising U.S. security interests not only in Asia, but throughout the world. Recently, China has requested greater involvement in the International Space Station Project, with the hope of gaining unrestricted access to cutting-edge technologies. This, as Chinese nationals have increased their participation in state-sponsored, covert spying and espionage missions in North America and Europe. Washington has objected to China’s role in the International Space Station and has avoided sharing technical knowledge with Beijing in the past, due to concerns that the communist regime would use the information to bolster its long-range ballistic missiles forces. A targeted attack in September on orbiting U.S. intelligence satellites by a ground-based laser has only added to Washington’s concern over potential EU-China technology exchanges, with sensors located at the Reagan Test Site on Kwajalein atoll in the South Pacific confirming the attacks originated from mainland China. The immediate response from the Communist Party’s Central Committee to allegations of laser attacks was not surprising. “The United States exaggeration of China’s counter-satellite technology is only an attempt to seek an excuse to justify its development of space weapons,” a public statement said. However, unconfirmed reports have noted that the U.S. has already detected “mini-Chinese satellites” placed in orbit near U.S. military communications and imaging satellites, proving once again that Beijing is gaining confidence in satellite countermeasures. Attempting to allay fears of the growing military aspects of its space program, China took a group of western reporters recently for a tour of its mission control center located on the outskirts of Beijing. Stressing the “peaceful development of space,” Col. Yang Liwei, China’s first astronaut in orbit, noted, “We hope to further our exchanges with our counterparts in foreign countries and learn from each other.” But how can China, a country known more for stealing technology than inventing it, help the West advance its various space programs? Amazingly, only a few weeks after the attack on U.S. satellites, high-level EU officials announced the creation of a strategic partnership designed to foster the exchange of information with China involving the advanced Galileo satellite navigational system. A purely civilian application for most of its history, EU officials announced the system would now be used for military purposes. “The idea of using Galileo for civilian purposes will not persist into the future because I think that our military cannot do without some sort of navigation system,” Jacques Barrot, EU Commissioner for transport, noted. A key participant in the EU’s Galileo navigational system – communist China.The U.S. Quadrennial Defense Review (QDR) Report released in February 2006 was clear in its position that the control of space and related technologies is imperative for U.S. military supremacy and that China in particular was an obstacle to this objective. “China is the country with the greatest potential to compete militarily with the U.S. and field disruptive military technologies that could over time offset traditional U.S. military advantages absent U.S. counter strategies,” the report noted. The report went on to say that China will continue to invest in asymmetric military capabilities that include advances in “counter-space operations” and “sophisticated land and sea-based systems.” The National Defense Strategy of the United States of America released in March 2005 supported the position that U.S. dominance of space was indeed under attack from other countries. “Disruptive challenges may come from adversaries who develop and use break-through technologies to negate current U.S. advantages in key operational domains.” The report also specified that adversaries in the future such as Russia, Iran, North Korea and China could combine advanced military capabilities and future technologies to deny U.S. access to space and threaten the capacity to project power, minimizing U.S. influence throughout the world. For its part, Beijing’s leadership has said it sees technology as the key determinant in future conflicts. A report released in August by China’s National Defense University identified space as an area where the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) must be equipped and prepared to defend China’s interests. “Our military should not only protect China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity, but should also protect the oceans and transport routes and other economic interests as well as the security of space,” the report said. But perhaps the most troubling aspect of this developing story is that the U.S. government continues to reach out to Beijing hoping to secure cooperation in space-related initiatives, even as the Chinese threat grows. NASA administrator Michael Griffin’s 2006 visit to Beijing to discuss cooperative projects in space exploration is one such example of this flawed policy. Writing in the Houston Chronicle, Mark Whittington, a space policy analyst, argued that the U.S. should think twice about making such overtures to a country that was confrontational after the “spy plane incident” of 2001 and continues to be guilty of profound human rights abuses against its own people. In his article, Whittington also shares his concerns regarding China’s efforts to steal western technology to enhance its military. Corporate America has also made its share of questionable deals lately. In an announcement earlier this year with serious national security implications for the U.S., Lockheed Martin, a top U.S. defense contractor, and Astrium, one of Europe’s leading satellite system specialists and a subsidiary of the European Aeronautic Space and Defense Company (EADS), announced that a cooperative agreement had been signed to ensure the “interoperability, integrity, and optimization” of the highly sensitive U.S. Global Positioning System (GPS) III with the EU’s Galileo Satellite Navigation System. “This opens a new dimension of cooperation between two of the world’s leading technology companies in systems that will benefit consumers for decades as the Galileo and GPS III systems come on line,” noted Reinhold Lutz, EADS Senior vice-president for Earth Observation, Navigation and Science. But the agreement may have instead benefited red China by giving the country access to advanced U.S. technologies, since Beijing is already heavily vested in the Galileo project. The foundation for today’s U.S. military is an integrated and networked force that possesses “space-centric” information and communication superiority over potential adversaries. Recognizing this, top Chinese defense experts and generals have indicated that the country is looking to space as a means to neutralize America’s technical supremacy on the battlefield. The first steps are now being taken to make this a reality. Only last week, Robert Joseph, the State Department's top arms-control official, warned of threats by terrorist groups and other nations against U.S. commercial and military satellites and reasserted U.S. policy that it has a right to use force. “We reserve the right to defend ourselves against hostile attacks and interference with our space assets," he said. Joseph noted "a number of countries" are acquiring capabilities to attack or counter U.S. space systems. Beijing’s dubious relationship with a hostile Iran, already in the process of developing its own space program, poses significant dangers as well. With western-supplied technology stolen from the EU or the U.S., Tehran could have at its disposal the satellite system infrastructure necessary to launch accurate ballistic strikes against Israel, neighboring Arab states and U.S. military forces in the region. The EU and the U.S. must work closely together to prevent Beijing’s communist government from becoming a “peer competitor” in outer space. It is important to note that in addition to military uses, the U.S. and its allies rely on the existing satellite constellation to manage water, energy, financial and government resources, making any disruption increasingly perilous. The transfer of space-related technologies could also contribute to human rights and privacy violations, given the ability of today’s satellites to track mobile and stationary communications, as well as the physical movements of individual citizens. Could the EU and U.S. one day find themselves sharing outer space with a consortium of powerful nations such as China, Russia, Iran, Venezuela and North Korea determined to eliminate U.S. influence and power? “We have loved the stars too dearly to be fearful of the night,” noted one unnamed amateur astronomer. Let us hope the stars continue to offer hope for a better tomorrow. Fred Stakelbeck is a Senior Asia Fellow with Washington-based Center for Security Policy. He is an expert on the economic and national security implications for them U.S. of China's emerging regional and global strategic influence. Comments can be forwarded to fstakelbeck@centerforsecuritypolicy.org.

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Yaan Huang, BC, CanadaJan 3rd, 2007 - 21:44:22

There are several major flaws in this article:

1. It accuses China of stealing technologies from the west and US, but provided no evidence at all.

2. It makes the mutual-benefiting cooperation equal to the opportunity for China to steal.

3. It insists US has to be the dominant power in every aspect.(Just look at what US did in Iraq. US do not deserve that privilege.)

To its best, the article is biased. But I’m afraid it might be much worse than that. Does China have to always be secondary to the west? Chinese technology achievements can only steal from US? To some extents, it is pretty racism.

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yuang chungJan 3rd, 2007 - 22:56:02

US is the boss. China must play by rules, or not play. China not know anything about anything without US showing them, then China use against US or US friends. This leads to poor world view of China. China needs to admit it is inferior and beg for technology as US sees fit to give it. Crying racist is completely stupid and irrational and a simpleton's meaningless ploy. To say that, means you need more education and less mouth to talk with. US is done listening to that after 9/11 happened. US is boss, and will stay boss now. The rest of the world is glad, as they should be. China is glad too, but wont admit it yet. China is best to become friendlier with US, and US will let China ride on its tails and come along into better technology and standard of living with time. Until China admits this, they will be slow to advance, if US says so. This is good for the world. China needs US to build electrical power plants, nuclear and otherwise, to make sure China does not stop growing. Without US, China will flop. US is boss, and needs to stay boss, and will stay boss. All others will become friends of US more and more, or wither away. First one in line to admit they need the US is to be China, if China is smart.
And so it is written in cement.

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MeatJan 8th, 2007 - 03:33:34

The U.S. has proved over and over that despite trying to micromanage world affairs; i.e. Bay of Pigs, puppet governments, etc.; it has been a magnaminous country in assisting other people of the world. China has proved over and over to be a disaster for it's own people; i.e. How many Chinese are still begging to come here? What is that crap about limiting the number of children that can be conceived?
There is no reason for a communist government to be given anything. President Nixon was right for opening relations at a time when the USSR was our main enemy, but times have changed. We need to go back to America First standards as set by our early Presidents, and stay on top as the most responsible country over the last 200 years. We are the best. Period. There is no other country that even comes close to having people literally risk death to come to.

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warren baconJan 8th, 2007 - 13:26:37

the next time china hits on of our satellites with a laser we should immediately close down all 20,000 chinese companies doing business here, cloes down their embassy, and throw their ambassador and his entire staff in jail. if they continue their attacks then we should nuke a chinese city. of course the surrender crowd in america(the democrats, one worlders, illegal immigrants, and spies) would go nuts, but who cares. it is time for americans to stand, and if necessary, to overthrow the congress and the state department as well as any other group(moveon.org, cair, la raza, new york times, aclu) who stands in the way of freedom loving americans. next time they catch a chinese py let's give him a public execution that rice eaters around the world will understand. close the borders to protect the american people from terror attacks and drugs before it is too late. mexican border cities are places of anarchy with no direct police control. sooner ofr later this will spill over the american side and get innocents killed. i fully expect this post to be deleted as the owners of this site do not have the moral courage to let the truth be posted for all to see.

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cccpJan 12th, 2007 - 18:41:37

The reason people think China should be secondary in technology and world control to U.S. is because, hmmm, let's see, China has no freedom, they opress their own people, they massacre people every day, if you speak out against them you will be killed or thrown in forced labour camps. You all of all people should know that the reason America should be on top is for the same reason you weren't put in jail for posting what you say about America, because if you were in China, saying those things about China, that's where you'd end up. It's not out of racism, it's about regimes, if you wanna be all patriotic yuan haang, stick up for the people of your OWN RACE being killed every day in your OWN COUNTRY, not nitpicking U.S. policy from BC, Canada...it's not about political correctness, it's about having basic freedoms. America has alot of stuff the whole world, including Americans don't agree with, but really, look at the alternative...do you want communist china calling the shots of the world in the future? (I would just like to make it clear that this whole arguement has NOTHING to do with race, or even national pride)

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SpoonJan 19th, 2007 - 23:39:05

Western superiority and colonialism for the past 300 years has done much more harm to humanity than when medieval China was the world's sole superpower for 2 millenniums. Just ask the Inca's, the Red Indians, the aborigines of Australia.

As home to a fifth of the world's population, China is only seeking to stake its rightful place in the world. It is the duty of the government to increase the standard of living by economic growth and to protect that prosperity by having a strong military deterent.

China's rise is inevitable and will be at the expense of Western influence and power, especially America's but I believe this counterbalance will be good for a world who has only had a sole superpower for far too long.

China rise whether peaceful or not, will much depend on terms of political engagement by the west. China needs to be treated as an equal, with rights to it's sovereignty and a peace loving nation committed economic prosperity.

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SZJan 19th, 2007 - 23:44:02

Do not fool yourself that democracy insures the US do only right things.

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DerekJan 20th, 2007 - 00:02:46

I think that China has every right to advance its technology. The USA seems content to selfishly do whatever it wants and then criticise other Nations for their own individual ideas or ambitions. I do not see China as a threat to anyone they are looking after the defence of their huge country which WE are failing to do. Hanging onto the 'coat tails of the USA' will get us nowhere as the Americans are just interested in themselves but always prepared to object to the rights of other Nations of the World to do what they want. Our interests are better served taking a full part in Europe and maintaining an open trade philosophy with everyone else. The Chinese have worked hard, very hard, for their recent achievements and I am glad that their people are at last seeing the benefits and rewards of their new society, it takes time to change and make no mistake about it, China IS changing.

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