Outer Space Policy in U.S.-China Relations

This curriculum resource guide was created to supplement the East Asia Resource Center and Global Classroom's NCTA Online Workshop,

Outer Space Policy in U.S-China Relations

Space is critical to America’s preeminence in the world. But whether space can remain peaceful is not clear. Today, as the United States positions strategically in the civilian, commercial, and military space activities it confronts many ambitious states jostling for national advantages. There is also an intensifying bipolar rivalry between the United States and China who are far above the rest in the space domain. Unlike the old space race, they have to contend with three deeply-intertwined trends that cut across the northern hemisphere and the global south. These are: (1) democratization that brings in a new set of nationalist players such as the UAE, India, South Africa, Brazil etc.; (2) commercialization that also brings new private entrants such as SpaceX, Planet Labs, ispace, etc. and beckons prosperity with unprecedented technologies and innovation; and, (3) militarization that bends those dual-use technologies into weaponization because of security dilemmas. Together, the changes in geopolitics and the emergence of these trends pose diplomatic challenges for peaceful prospects in space.