Chinese Space and Security Policies from Mao Zedong to Xi Jinping: Pursuing the Chinese Dream

Abstract

The foundational bases of the People’s Republic of China’s Space Program appeared in 1956, with the creation of the China Aviation Industry Commission and the Fifth Academy of the Ministry of Defense. This article aims, through the application of a qualitative methodology of interpretativist nature, to answer the question “How has the formulation of Chinese Space and Security Policies driven the aerospace development of the People’s Republic of China?” To accomplish this objective, it was chosen to analyze the historical period comprising Mao Zedong’s Presidency, which began in 1954, up to the current Presidency of Xi Jinping. In this way, the Space Program of the People’s Republic of China will be described, from its genesis to the present day, including its ambitions, capabilities, priorities, as well as Chinese security and space policies, and the policy making process of Chinese space policies, based on the principles defended by the People’s Republic of China, the peaceful use of outer space and space exploration, as well as international exchange and cooperation. Keywords: People’s Republic of China; Space Policy; Space Program; Space Security and Defense