China has registered with the ITU its intent to use frequencies that are as close to Galileo's as Galileo's were planned to be to GPS 3, in an attempt to do to the Galileo system the same thing that Europe tried, and failed, to do to the US.
James Oberg analyzes China's civillian space program and finds that "despite Western theorizing about space challenges — a new moon race or even a military conquest of the heavens — the most plausible rationale for the Shenzhou program appears to be what Chinese leaders have always stated. They expect that it will be good for China, the Chinese people and for the ruling regime."
The European Union has signed contracts with a group of Chinese companies to develop a range of commercial applications for Europe's planned Galileo satellite navigation system.
Japan is actively increasing its role in military space by jointly developing missile defense systems, new generations of military spy satellites, and planning for manned stations on the moon. The author argues that these developments risk igniting an arms race with China.
Defense analysts are concerned that China's participation in Europe's Galileo project, an alternative to the U.S. GPS system, will enable them to develop precision guided munitions and "smart weapons."
China plans to launch more than 100 satellites before 2020 to monitor water reserves, forests, farmland, city construction and "various activities of society," a government official said without elaborating.
China announced Wednesday it plans to begin three programs to monitor, prevent and curb the movements of debris in outer space, including setting up a new space tracking center.
China and India have signed on to support the European Union's Galileo global satellite system in a bid to challenge American supremacy in space.
China launched a third navigation satellite Sunday in a step that could aid in the development of advanced military technologies, such as cruise missile systems.
China National Space Administration (CNSA) announced that it will develop new generation satellites for civil spaceflight during the 10th Five-year Plan period (2001-2005).