Research presentation: ‘Empire of the stars—not yet? China as a ‘partial’ great power in space’
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The ‘rise of China’ is one of the most important developments in the field of space activities. In recent years, China has made considerable progress in advancing its space capabilities and now plays a pivotal role in the direction of space security matters and the global governance of space activities against the backdrop of global space challenges and a more complex space environment. This raises the question of whether China is a great power in space and whether it is able to convert its material capabilities into influence. This article addresses these questions by assessing China’s space power within the scope of a societal framework that treats space power not only as material, but also as social. It argues that China’s ability to provide leadership in space is constrained by its limited ability to attract and hold followers. At the same time, China’s ambitions to become a great power in space are hampered by recent U.S. efforts to reassert leadership. Consequently, although China has tried to play a stronger role in space through diplomacy, institution-building, and the provision of goods, especially in its engagement with the Global South, it remains a ‘partial’ great power in a U.S.-led space order.
Chair
Dr Bleddyn Bowen
Speaker
Dr Dimitrios Stroikos is a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Bologna, Italy, the Head of the Space Policy project at LSE IDEAS, and editor of Space Policy: An International Journal. His research examines the global politics of outer space activities, focusing on space policy and space security, with particular reference to China and India as space powers, European space policy, and Europe–China relations. His work has appeared in Astropolitics, India Review, International Affairs (forthcoming), International Politics, Journal of Contemporary China, Journal of Space Safety Engineering (forthcoming), Review of International Studies, Space Policy, and The Pacific Review. He has also co-edited Rising Power, Limited Influence: The Politics of Chinese Investments in Europe and the Liberal International Order (Oxford University Press).
Registration will close two hours before the event begins