Chinese citizen Lai Kai-ying, the first woman to reach outer space, is currently aboard China’s crewed Tiangong Space Station, where she orbits Earth 16 times a day with two other Chinese astronauts.
Tiangong is a unique microgravity laboratory for scientific experiments, designed to provide new insights into the future of humanity.
Today, aviation and space flight are once again shaped by ideological rivalries, echoing the mid-20th century space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. However, in the 21st century, Washington’s primary rival is no longer Moscow, but Beijing.
US space agency NASA intends to retire its historic research outpost, the International Space Station (ISS), by 2032. When this happens, China will be the only country to permanently operate a crewed orbital station.
China dominates cutting-edge research
According to Nature, space travel is one of several areas around the world in which China now holds technological leadership.
magazine is latest Research Leaders IndexWhich reveals key institutions and countries/regions, placing China in first place – well ahead of the United States and Germany.
nine of Top 10 Research Institutes were from China, America’s Harvard was in third place. The Max Planck Society (MPG), Germany’s leading research institute, is ranked 13th.
MPG spokeswoman Christina Beck said, “It is now almost irrelevant which global ranking you consult. Universities and research institutions in China are leaders in many fields.”
The Nature Index also shows that Chinese research institutions are clear leaders in biology, chemistry and physics, as well as other applied sciences. Only in health sciences and social sciences have they been ahead of American institutions.
Strong investment forms the basis of success
Richard Heidler, director of information management at the German Research Foundation (DFG), Germany’s largest research funding organization, said China has experienced steady growth over the past two decades.
Heidler said, “Although there was a significant increase in the early 2000s primarily in the volume of publications, bibliographic analyzes over the past decade have also seen an increase in impact-related indicators, such as the share and number of highly cited publications.”
In other words, China is not only publishing more, but also becoming increasingly better and more visible, which MPG’s Beck said is based on a long-term development process.
“The key to this is systematic funding for scientific institutions and universities in China over many years – particularly through international training of researchers and substantial investment in large-scale research infrastructure,” he said.
China’s leaders have long recognized that technology is key to its success. The country’s economic and political road map for its 15th five-year plan, 2026–2030, calls for continued expansion of its innovation capabilities.
At the heart of Beijing’s strategy is the development of “new productive forces” – innovation-driven growth engines based on advanced technologies and industrial transformation.
The plan highlights a range of key industries of the future, including artificial intelligence, quantum technology, nuclear fusion, biotechnology and life sciences, brain-computer interfaces as well as deep sea and space exploration.
Ideology shapes research collaboration
There is a tough competition going on between China and America regarding the next generation lunar missions. This push comes as China has promised to prepare a crewed mission by 2030.
It remains to be seen whether NASA will be able to successfully execute its Artemis mission to land near the Moon’s south pole in 2028. The lunar lander program and next-generation spacesuits are already behind schedule.
China also plans to establish a permanent lunar base as a stepping stone to future missions in deep space.
By being the only country to recover rock fragments from the far side of the Moon, it has already taken a major step towards this goal. The samples are now being studied for their possible use in the construction of the planned settlement.
‘Political obstacles’
NASA is prohibited from cooperating with China’s space agency under the 2011 Wolf Amendment, indicating the intensity of geopolitical and ideological rivalry between the two powers.
The European Space Agency (ESA) has also reduced cooperation with Beijing, even though ESA astronauts have had to learn Chinese terminology, and have conducted joint exercises with Chinese taikonauts – the name for Chinese astronauts.
Germany’s Federal Ministry for Research, Technology and Space has also drawn clear boundaries, especially in sensitive areas with potential military applications.
According to the ministry, “For example, this applies to cooperation on topics that can be used for both civilian or military purposes (dual-use) or to cooperation related to artificial intelligence, which can be used for surveillance purposes and human rights violations.” Website.
European states increasingly regard China as a systemic rival. The risks and benefits in scientific collaboration must therefore be carefully considered.
“We want to maintain collaboration in research areas where there are no concerns about dual use,” Beck said.
An example is the “Five Hundred Meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope” (FAST) in Guizhou, China’s southwestern province, which has a diameter of 500 meters – about the length of five football fields.
“It gives us access to unparalleled collaboration,” Beck said.
Ingrid Krusemann of the Sino-German Center for Research Promotion (SGC) makes a similar argument.
“The goal of the DFG is to create as much certainty as possible for researchers in Germany, so that excellent collaborative projects with Chinese partners remain possible in principle,” he said.
cooperate with caution
Beck said that German research organizations are facing increasing challenges in cooperation with Chinese partners due to political developments in China, rising geopolitical tensions and, above all, the close interconnection of civilian and military research.
The Max Planck Society aims to shape its cooperation with partners in China “in an informed, responsible and strategic way,” he said.
Meanwhile, China is engaged in pursuing its foreign policy agenda through technological means.
China is set to host its first foreign astronaut, after Hong Kong native Lai Kaiying completed her mission to the Tiangong Space Station, who is expected to spend a short stay in orbit starting in October.
Two Pakistani candidates, one of whom will be selected for the flight, are already in training for the mission.
The move highlights how geopolitical alliances are increasingly expanding into space, with China including key partner countries in its expanding space programme.
This article is taken from German