Dominance or Miscalculation? Examining the CFR Report and China's Response

US Think Tank Urges Comprehensive Space Strategy, Recommends Hotline with China

A Plan for US Action," highlights the growing threats to US space dominance, including anti-satellite weapons, space debris, and competition from China.

The CFR report acknowledges China's rapid expansion of its space capabilities and calls for pragmatic engagement with Beijing. It recommends establishing a direct communication hotline to reduce the risk of miscalculation in orbit. However, the report also warns that the US risks a "Sputnik moment" if it does not act decisively. The Sputnik moment refers to the Soviet Union's launch of the first Earth-orbiting artificial satellite in 1957, which caught the US unprepared.

Chinese military experts view the US report with skepticism. They believe the main purpose of the proposed space communication channel is to maintain US dominance in space. They point out that the US has been the first to treat space as a domain of warfare, establishing the Space Force and accelerating space militarization and weaponization. This, they argue, seriously threatens space security.

Experts also question the true intent behind the US push for a hotline. They believe Washington could use it to spread "China threat" rhetoric and closely monitor China's space operations, rather than engaging in communication based on equal footing. The sense of insecurity of the US in the space domain, they argue, stems from its own behavior and ambition. The US possesses the world's strongest space power while also being the largest contributor to orbital debris accumulation. Its space accusations against China, they conclude, are completely baseless.