{"id":1367,"date":"2026-07-23T22:31:22","date_gmt":"2026-07-23T22:31:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/?p=1367"},"modified":"2026-07-23T22:31:22","modified_gmt":"2026-07-23T22:31:22","slug":"why-china-is-investing-in-planetary-defense-the-diplomat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/?p=1367","title":{"rendered":"Why China Is Investing in Planetary Defense\u00a0 \u2013 The Diplomat"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Why<\/div>

<\/p>\n

\n

Within the past several weeks, China has announced a series of initiatives related to planetary defense. At the end of June, it unveiled plans to establish an <\/span>asteroid early-warning network<\/span><\/a> for planetary defense. A few days ago, China also released further details about its <\/span>asteroid deflection mission<\/span><\/a>, which has been under development for several years. The mission is currently scheduled for 2027, although the launch date may still change. The mission is expected to involve sending a spacecraft to impact an asteroid in an attempt to alter its trajectory and, potentially, disrupt its structure.<\/span><\/p>\n

These steps are part of broader long-term plans. In 2018, China joined the International Asteroid Warning Network (IAWN) and the Space Mission Planning Advisory Group (SMPAG), both of which operate under the auspices of the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. The <\/span>2021 Space White Paper<\/span><\/a> elevated planetary defense to one of China\u2019s policy priorities for the coming years, outlining plans to develop a near-Earth object defense system by improving its monitoring, cataloguing, early warning, response, and disposal capabilities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In 2022, China established the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory (DSEL), which is responsible, among other tasks, for conducting research on planetary defense. DSEL is led by Wu Weiren, one of China\u2019s leading space engineers and the chief designer of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program. In February 2025, Chinese media <\/span>reported<\/span><\/a> that the government had opened three new positions for planetary defense experts. The following month, DSEL organized a <\/span>conference<\/span><\/a> on near-Earth asteroid defense, attended by more than 50 Chinese experts.<\/span><\/p>\n

Planetary Defense and National Priorities<\/b><\/p>\n

One may wonder why an authoritarian state such as China is paying increasing attention to planetary defense despite the low probability of a major asteroid impact. This raises the question of what political and strategic objectives these efforts serve.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In a recent peer-reviewed <\/span>article<\/span><\/a> published in Space Policy, my co-authors and I examined China\u2019s motivations for expanding its role in planetary defense. One important factor is the ambition to build China\u2019s image as a strong space power. In 2022, Xi Jinping <\/span>stated<\/span><\/a> that \u201cto explore the vast cosmos, develop the space industry and build China into a space power is our eternal dream.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Engagement in planetary defense also enables China to present itself as a comprehensive space power, in line with the vision articulated in its <\/span>2016 Space White Paper<\/span><\/a> of becoming \u201ca space power in all respects.\u201d At the same time, because planetary defense is widely perceived as an activity that serves the global public good, China\u2019s growing involvement reinforces its image as a responsible power. In doing so, it aligns with Beijing\u2019s broader <\/span>narrative<\/span><\/a> of building \u201ca global community of shared future\u201d for all of humanity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Another important motivation is domestic legitimacy. The national space program serves as a powerful demonstration of China\u2019s global influence and technological capabilities. The government also seems to be responding to public concerns. According to <\/span>official sources<\/span><\/a>, Chinese authorities announced plans for an asteroid early warning system in 2018 following a fireball that exploded over Yunnan Province in October 2017. Similarly, when state media reported the recruitment of new planetary defense experts in early 2025, they <\/span>noted<\/span><\/a> that there was \u201cwidespread concern on Chinese social media\u201d\u2019 about the possibility of an asteroid impact.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition, the development of planetary defense is closely linked to national security and the advancement of military technologies, as many planetary defense capabilities have dual-use applications. In 2017, Xi Jinping <\/span>said<\/span><\/a> that \u201cintegrated military and civilian development should be implemented in the fields of sea, outer space, cyber space, biology, and new energy.\u201d In 2020, the National Development and Reform Commission <\/span>identified<\/span><\/a> space infrastructure as an example of a platform for military-civil fusion.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The military is regarded by <\/span>experts<\/span><\/a> as the main actor controlling China\u2019s space program. In 2024, China established the Aerospace Force as one of the seven main branches of the People\u2019s Liberation Army, with responsibility for military space operations.<\/span><\/p>\n

By investing in planetary defense, China can also promote its technologies internationally and support technology exports. For example, BeiDou, China\u2019s alternative to GPS, was initially developed for military purposes but was later promoted for civilian and commercial applications. BeiDou is now <\/span>used<\/span><\/a> by governments and companies around the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

China\u2019s Own Experts Warn of Gaps in Its Planetary Defense<\/b><\/p>\n

However, China\u2019s planetary defense capabilities continue to face significant limitations. Compared with the United States, China remains less technologically and institutionally developed in this field and has been relatively reluctant to share information with international partners. An example is the above-mentioned recently announced asteroid early-warning network. It remains unclear whether the proposed network will incorporate dedicated space-based monitoring assets or rely on existing satellite infrastructure. It is also unknown how the network will be institutionally governed or to what extent it will share information with international partners.<\/span><\/p>\n

China\u2019s limitations in contributing to global planetary defense have been acknowledged even by Chinese experts, including Wu Weiren himself. In a 2022 <\/span>article<\/span><\/a>, of which Wu was a co-author, the authors argued that \u201cChina has low international contribution and influence in the field of planetary defense.\u201d They noted that, of the approximately 40,000 near-Earth asteroids identified worldwide at the time, only 32 had been discovered by a Chinese observatory. They recommended that China play a more active role through United Nations mechanisms, participate in international coordination frameworks and expand data sharing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This article was not an aberration. For several years, Chinese experts have engaged in an <\/span>active debate<\/span><\/a> criticizing the country\u2019s limited preparedness and calling for better coordination and greater international engagement in planetary defense.<\/span><\/p>\n

Even domestically, China\u2019s planetary defense program is institutionally fragmented. Although the China National Space Administration (CNSA) is often presented as China\u2019s equivalent of NASA, it has relatively limited authority. Decision-making involves numerous government and semi-government agencies, the military, state-owned enterprises, and, ultimately, the Chinese Communist Party, which retains final decision-making authority. The institutional framework remains opaque and lacks effective coordination.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the principal limitations is that space policy, including planetary defense, is regarded as a matter of national security and military affairs, and as such, it is inherently characterized by a high degree of secrecy and limited transparency. Another factor limiting information sharing with foreign partners is the increasingly repressive environment under Xi Jinping. Regulations such as the Data Security Law (2021) and the Counter-Espionage Law (2023) impose strict penalties for sharing information related to national security.<\/span><\/p>\n

China is likely to continue strengthening its planetary defense activities as it advances several of Beijing\u2019s strategic objectives simultaneously. It supports China\u2019s ambition to become a leading space power, reinforces its image as a responsible international actor, contributes to domestic legitimacy, and accelerates the development of dual-use technologies. However, China\u2019s planetary defense program is likely to prioritize high-visibility projects and technologies with clear strategic or dual-use value over less visible forms of scientific research and international cooperation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At the same time, the close integration of planetary defense with China\u2019s national security and military establishment, together with opaque governance structures and restrictive information policies, is likely to continue limiting Beijing\u2019s contribution to global planetary defense efforts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Within the past several weeks, China has announced a series of initiatives related to planetary defense. At the end of June, it unveiled plans to establish an asteroid early-warning network for planetary defense. A few days ago, China also released further details about its asteroid deflection mission, which has been under development for several years….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1368,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thediplomat.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/sizes\/td-story-s-2\/thediplomat_2026-07-23-224620.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[2398,1968,259,2717,2718],"class_list":["post-1367","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-international-news","tag-china","tag-defense","tag-diplomat","tag-investing","tag-planetary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1367","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1367"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1367\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1368"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/valutednews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}