NEWS & EVENTS

China’s Rising Space Power and Its Impact on Geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific Region

On May 4th, Dr. Fumiko Sasaki, a Visiting Scholar at the Reischauer Center, presented on “China’s Rising Space Power and Its Impact on Geopolitics in the Indo-Pacific Region.” Dr. Sasaki concurrently serves as an Assistant Professor at the School of International and Public Affairs, Columbia University. In her presentation, she examined China’s rapidly developing space capability and its broader political and economic goals.

The dual-use nature of space assets for civilian and military use makes this field a significant topic for geopolitical strategy. Dr. Sasaki argued that for many of these countries, the benefits of using this system for disaster management and ensuring food security outweigh potential privacy risks. Although Japan has been active in leading capacity-building efforts for maritime security and disaster management, its involvement in space technology has been limited.

Furthermore, the lack of viable alternatives in space technology for the developing world mean that China is likely to expand its market share while also taking a larger role in international norm-setting. In the Q&A session, Dr. Sasaki answered questions on geostrategic competition and Chinese grand strategy.