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

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.