China-US Space Cooperation Might as Well Start through Nongovernmental Channels

Published in Huanqiu
(China) on 5 December 2014
by Binruo Wang (link to originallink to original)
Translated from by Laura Abbott. Edited by Eva Langman.
At the recent APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) summit, friendly, high-level discussions between the U.S. and China on space collaboration were positive signs. However, Obama is restricted by domestic politics, especially in the midst of America’s midterm elections, when the fear of losing has tied his hands. We cannot bet on Obama to promote U.S.-China space cooperation, but we still need to seriously analyze the factors that hamper U.S.-China space cooperation in order to find a solution.

The current U.S. space policy specific to China is largely influenced by China hardliners in Congress: Ideology has become the most critical impediment. In 2011, the Wolf Clause appeared as an obstruction to U.S.-China space cooperation. It was named after U.S. Congressman Frank Wolf — the quintessential embodiment of a congressional hardliner with regard to China. In light of these circumstances, no one in the U.S. space community dared to advocate for cooperation with China.

China’s space community deeply understands the deficiencies in America’s political environment. Countermeasure research by think tanks that are influential in Congress is extremely limited, and has created inaction in China’s push for cooperation with the United States. At present, China has even fewer experts involved in research on U.S. space policy. The academic circles in China that do conduct research on the United States don’t understand space, while the experts that conduct space industry research don’t understand American politics. This has limited exchange with American space policy experts. Even if space industry members from China and the U.S. are willing to explore exchange, appropriate channels and platforms for dialogue still don’t exist — and this paralyzes those who are trying to promote bilateral cooperation.

In the space field, collaboration is a popular trend. Extensive and thorough international collaboration in space not only functions to bring all the limited resources into play but also allows the participants’ various strengths in science and technology to complement one another, stimulating the quick development of the entire international space industry. This year, the confrontation between the United States and Russia was very grave, but later, we will see even greater cooperation in projects such as the International Space Station.

Therefore, my recommendation is that we start with channels for dialogue exchange and nongovernmental cooperation between the U.S. and China, and thereby increase academic research and exchange regarding bilateral U.S.-China space policy. We can bring into play China’s space research organizations whose strong suit is that they operate with the spirit of a nongovernmental organization. When faced with the stance of congressional hardliners in the U.S., these organizations will still establish cooperative relationships with America’s space research teams and think tanks, and extensively win over moderates to organize bilateral U.S.-China space policy. First, we should start with the reasonable American academic community and think tanks, and extend dialogue with businessmen, trade associations and others who advocate for cooperation with China and who hold a comparatively neutral standpoint, and establish one type of nongovernmental channel for space cooperation dialogue. We should organize invitations to young congressional aides to participate in symposiums in China and visit China’s space organization facilities. They will then face Congress and those individuals involved in the creation of U.S. space policy, and vigorously lay bare China’s transparency in space development and willingness to cooperate.

The several American space industry experts I have come in contact with all agree that U.S.-China space cooperation is a win-win situation, and that harboring Cold War sentiments and a zero-sum game mentality regarding U.S. space development is as good as painting oneself into a corner. We should strengthen research on U.S. space policy and cultivate experts that understand both American politics and space. If insightful people in our two countries could together sound a reasonable voice proposing U.S.-China space cooperation, there would be an active impetus for it.


前不久APEC会议上两国高层间的友好对话使中美航天合作出现一些积极迹象。但奥巴马受国内政治的限制,特别是在美国中期选举中的落败恐怕使他难有作为。推动中美航天合作,不能把宝押在奥巴马身上,仍需认真分析中美航天合作受阻因素,以求解决之道。

  当前美国对华航天政策受国会对华强硬派主导,意识形态成为最关键的阻碍因素。2011年出台阻挠中美航天合作的“沃尔夫条款”,以美国国会议员弗兰克·沃尔夫的名字命名,此人便是国会对华强硬派的典型代表。在这种情形下,主张中美合作的美国航天界有识之士不敢发声。

  中国航天界对美国政治生态缺乏深入了解,对其国会、有影响力的智库的对策性研究非常有限,也造成了中国在推进对美合作上的被动。目前中国专门从事对美空间政策研究的专家较少,国内学界搞美国研究的不懂航天,搞航天产业研究的专家不懂美国政治,限制了与美国空间政策领域的专家学者的交流。即使中美一些航天界人士愿意交流探讨,目前仍缺乏合适的对话渠道与平台,造成我们在推进双边合作上的被动局面。

  人类在太空领域的合作是大势所趋。广泛深入的航天国际合作,不仅可以将有限资源发挥的作用最大化,而且能实现科学技术的优势互补,推动国际航天事业整体快速发展。当年美苏对峙如此严重,后来也在国际空间站等项目上开始了较多的合作。

  所以,笔者建议不妨从中美民间对话合作交流渠道入手,加大中美双边航天政策学术交流力度。发挥中国航天学术组织,非政府机构的灵活性优势,在无法改变强硬派立场的情况下,建立与美国航天学术组织、智库的合作关系,广泛争取对华中间派人士,组织中美双边航天政策研讨会。先从立场比较中立、理性的美国学术界、智库,以及主张跟中国合作的企业人士、行业协会等机构入手,建立一种民间的航天对话渠道。可以组织邀请年轻的国会议员助手来华参与研讨交流,参观中国航天机构设施,积极向美国国会涉及航天政策制定的有关人士展示中国航天发展的透明度及合作意愿。

  笔者接触过的一些美国航天界有识人士均认为中美航天合作是一种双赢,怀着冷战思维、零和博弈的心态对美国航天自身的发展无异于作茧自缚。我们应加强对美航天政策研究,培养一批既懂美国政治又懂航天的专家。如果两国有识之士能一同发出倡导中美航天合作的理性声音,将会积极推进中美的航天合作。▲(作者是中国宇航学会高级工程师)
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