Episode 22: Chinese Power Projection to Lower-Earth Orbit and Beyond

Space has been a popular domain for power projection ever since the launch of Russia’s Sputnik in 1957. But how is soft power relevant in this domain? Dr Malcolm Davis, Senior Analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI), joins us to take a closer look at how China is utilising soft power in the space domain. This includes Tiangong, its space station; space situational awareness (SSA) ground stations all over the world; and BeiDou, China’s GPS equivalent. Are these measures successful in projecting power? Where do they fit into the wider Chinese foreign policy of the Belt and Road Initiative? And is Russia likely to remain China’s chief partner in this field?