Chinese advances in aerospace are of concern to the United States

China is steadily advancing to become the world-class aerospace leader, and aims to match or surpass the United States by 2045.

A report by the Mitchell Institute warns that the United States is lagging behind China in counterspace capabilities, which are essential to success in future wars. The report highlights the importance of the United States maintaining its reach and preventing China from gaining access to space capabilities. China is rapidly developing its counter space capabilities with the goal of surpassing the United States in space.

According to the report, China considers attacking US space systems essential to winning any conflict and is increasing its array of counter-space threats. The US military is increasingly relying on space assets for critical missions such as communications, navigation, intelligence reconnaissance, and surveillance. Unlike China and Russia, the Biden administration has suspended anti-satellite missile tests.

The author of the report urges US lawmakers to take a robust and comprehensive approach to ensuring uninterrupted access to space. It highlights the importance of strengthening the resilience of space assets, as well as defensive and offensive capabilities to achieve dominance in space in case of conflict. The space arms race is part of a broader competition in the Indo-Pacific region, involving conventional, nuclear and space forces. The outcome of this arms race could have a significant impact on the balance of power between the Indo-Pacific and the world in the 21st century.

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