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Julie Michelle Klinger and Temidayo Isaiah Oniosun wrote a special report for the United Institute of Peace on foreign outer space programs, with a focus on China's intervention into African space programs as means of policy to form partnerships between the two countries. Julie Michelle Klinger is an assistant professor of geography and spatial sciences at the University of Delaware, and Temidayo Isaiah Oniosun is the founder of the company Space in Africa and a PhD candidate in the Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences at the University of Delaware.
"China is increasingly supportive, offering space science and space cooperation as an incentive for African states to form closer ties to Beijing," Klinger and Oniosun wrote in their report.
In the special report, Klinger and Oniosun say that unlike the past when space activities were dominated by a few powerful countries and seen as separate from broader human security and development issues, today, outer space is a dynamic arena with active participation from most nations. Many governments and international organizations recognize that space development is crucial for tackling pressing challenges like climate change, poverty, terrorism, and forced migration. This has transformed outer space into a primary domain for both cooperation and competition, involving a broader array of actors and institutions than is typically highlighted in mainstream media and policy publications. China, along with other major space powers like Japan, Russia, and the United Kingdom, and numerous global private firms, offer cost-effective opportunities for governments to advance their space technologies. Developing countries collaborate with one another and with various international partners, including commercial, research, and military entities, to address immediate security threats and long-term vulnerabilities.
According to Klinger and Oniosun, African governments have been actively developing their own space programs and partnering with China to enhance their space capabilities. Unlike the United States, which does not prioritize space technology in its African foreign policy, China uses space science and cooperation as a strategic tool to strengthen ties with African nations, offering a range of incentives. The authors suggest three policies for the United States to take on: "1. Formulate effective and innovative policy to broaden avenues of peaceful international cooperation in the space domain. 2. Accurately identify and effectively mitigate threats to peace and stability within and emerging from the context of continental Africa. 3. Build or strengthen partnerships with US allies in an era characterized by China’s significant and growing role in international relations and global affairs.
China's space sector has evolved into a multifaceted industry encompassing military, research, and commercial entities, per the special report. The origin of this development traces back to the formation of China's National Space Administration (CNSA) in 1993, which emerged from the Number Five Research Academy of the Ministry of National Defense. Initially, this academy was focused on nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles, largely in collaboration with the Soviet Union. Following the Sino-Soviet split in 1957, China relied on overseas-educated scholars to advance its space and nuclear capabilities within the Ministry of Defense. Later, in 1998, the central government established the Ministry of Astronautics to oversee the country's space program. Subsequently, CNSA assumed international treaty obligations, while the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation (CASC) became the primary contractor for rockets and launch systems. Notably, CASC operates in a similar fashion to other major space agencies, engaging with private and quasi-private contractors. One of its subsidiaries, the China Great Wall Industry Corporation (CGWIC), provides commercial space services worldwide, particularly for emerging space programs. In Africa, China's space cooperation is shaped by its priorities in climate change, energy, mining, construction, and telecommunications.
As noted in the report, in recent years, African nations have increasingly shown interest in developing their space capabilities, focusing on socioeconomic concerns rather than deep space exploration or militarization. This coincides with China's expanding space policy, the integration of space infrastructure into the Belt and Road Initiative, and the rise of Chinese private space companies. African countries have invested $4 billion in satellite technologies since 2005, with France, China, Russia, the UK, and the US being major partners. While Africa's 2020 space expenditure accounted for 0.7% of the global total, it's growing rapidly, with over 20 African countries having space programs. They've launched 55 satellites, emphasizing socioeconomic functions, and more countries are entering the space arena. The African Union also fosters continental collaboration through initiatives like the African Space Agency.
China has significantly expanded its presence in Africa's security landscape, marked by military equipment sales, the establishment of its first overseas military base in Djibouti in 2017, and the inaugural China-Africa Security and Defense Forum in 2018, according to the report. Space technology development offers a point of synergy in bilateral and multilateral relations between Africa and China. These collaborations vary in nature, with costs sometimes included in military budgets, managed by civilian national space agencies, or part of international projects. China's investments in African space initiatives align with its broader development, counterterrorism, and security objectives. Specific examples include Chinese financing for Nigeria's satellite development, ground station development in Ethiopia, multilateral cooperation on satellite navigation, and climate monitoring and disaster management initiatives.
