China's Outer Space Programme: Diplomacy of Competition or Co-operation?

This article looks at China's outer space programme and its implications in terms of its military and non-military applications. Being a huge country and a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, China's launch of the first manned space flight in October 2003 constitutes a landmark event. High-level technological capability, such as in space exploration, add to a country's power and bargaining capacity at international level. This article thus also considers China's quest for position vis-a-vis other space-faring nations.