Nowadays, China has become a leader. In the past, the United States monopolized China | Author | The United States
On June 20th, the Swiss newspaper The Times published an article titled "Is China's Space Travel Worth Western Fear?" by Hugo L ü mmer. The full text is excerpted as follows:
China's brilliant achievements in the field of space are causing an increasing sensation. On this stage, China's presence seems to be everywhere and it upholds an open attitude.
Beatrice Aino, a researcher at the Strategic Research Institute of the French Military Academy, summarized, "China has injected a large amount of funds into the field of aerospace infrastructure. In this previously almost monopolized field by the United States, China has become a significant participant that cannot be ignored."
China has a broad vision and is expanding its network to emerging countries, a land overlooked by traditional aerospace powers. Arnold said, "The United States values its partnership with Europe, while African countries have doubts about the European people who were once colonizers, leaving room for alternatives outside of the United States and Europe."
"China no longer needs anyone to make breakthroughs in this field, everything can be done on its own. Everything else is just a diplomatic game, and China plays a positive role in it, that is, a leader," said Philip Cue, an expert studying this issue and author of the book "Heavenly Palace"
This was once a role played by Russia. Russia still carries the halo of space achievements from the Soviet era. Although Moscow was able to maintain cooperation with China, which had just started in the aerospace field, during and after the Cold War, its roles have now switched.
On November 11, 2022, the physical model and engine of China's new generation carrier rocket were unveiled at the China Air Show. Shen Jizhong
Nevertheless, Beijing maintains partnerships with some traditional powers, including France. At the end of this year, China and France have a collaborative mission to develop a space-based multi band spatial variable source monitor specifically for studying gamma ray bursts. Kue said, "This kind of communication is still very occasional and not the norm. If we want to protect our technological knowledge, it must disappear. This is the naked reality of international relations."
NASA has such doubts and has not initiated any cooperation with the Chinese space agency. The same goes for Europe, where the European Space Agency has abandoned the manned flight plan for European astronauts to the Beijing space station.
Does this willingness to reduce exchanges mean that China is now seen as a threat? Aino said, "In the eyes of Europeans, this is not so clear. We are more aware of the need to protect our abilities, but we still hope to maintain dialogue and not let the two groups stand in opposition."
Kue admitted, "As Westerners, we have become accustomed to dominating this field. We indulge in our own achievements and fail to realize that this country has surpassed us."
The result is that although some countries such as France are determined not to participate in the logic of the camp, this is an emerging reality. In this new order, China is increasingly dominant among emerging countries, while the European Union and the United States are in a more isolated position.
Aino explained, "There are still some non aligned countries, such as Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, and South Africa. Although they do not constitute the majority, they have thwarted this logic and hold a certain weight on the international stage of the aerospace industry. They are presenting their views on this field and helping to reverse this structure."
