Chinese Space Cooperation in Latin America: Implications for United States Space Security
Date of Publication
1-1-2023 12:00 AM
Security Theme
Cybersecurity
Keywords
Geography, space, objects, national security, astronautics, space force, national governments, spacecraft, environmental protection, space, systems governments, international organizations, military science payload, South America, space situational awareness, united states, communication satellites, Cybersecurity
Description
This thesis aimed to analyze Sino-LAC space cooperation to answer the following questions what are the motivations behind Sino-LAC space cooperation, and what do the parties stand to gain How is Sino-LAC space cooperation structured, and is China promoting long-term technological dependencies What challenges does this pose to U.S. space security, and is U.S. space policy effectively responding to regional Chinese proliferation within the space domain Ultimately, LAC countries seek Chinese space cooperation for two primary reasons the need to acquire Chinese-built space capabilities to benefit national socioeconomic development or for mutual technological development to achieve sovereign space autonomy. This thesis argues that in relation to the less-developed space nations, China uses space cooperation as one tool to control developing economies and as a method to exert its geopolitical influence within the western hemisphere. In relation to the major-developed space nations, China uses space cooperation to advance its space capabilities in the western hemisphere. In both cases, China mostly designs Sino-LAC space cooperation to foster long-term space engagements and potential dependencies while promoting Chinas international space projection goals. Furthermore, this thesis concludes that a threat to U.S. space security due to Sino-LAC space cooperation is feasible, and that U.S. space policy is not appropriately implemented to predict, detect, and deter such a concern.
Chinese Space Cooperation in Latin America: Implications for United States Space Security
This thesis aimed to analyze Sino-LAC space cooperation to answer the following questions what are the motivations behind Sino-LAC space cooperation, and what do the parties stand to gain How is Sino-LAC space cooperation structured, and is China promoting long-term technological dependencies What challenges does this pose to U.S. space security, and is U.S. space policy effectively responding to regional Chinese proliferation within the space domain Ultimately, LAC countries seek Chinese space cooperation for two primary reasons the need to acquire Chinese-built space capabilities to benefit national socioeconomic development or for mutual technological development to achieve sovereign space autonomy. This thesis argues that in relation to the less-developed space nations, China uses space cooperation as one tool to control developing economies and as a method to exert its geopolitical influence within the western hemisphere. In relation to the major-developed space nations, China uses space cooperation to advance its space capabilities in the western hemisphere. In both cases, China mostly designs Sino-LAC space cooperation to foster long-term space engagements and potential dependencies while promoting Chinas international space projection goals. Furthermore, this thesis concludes that a threat to U.S. space security due to Sino-LAC space cooperation is feasible, and that U.S. space policy is not appropriately implemented to predict, detect, and deter such a concern.
