Special to CosmicTribune.com, February 25, 2026

Geostrategy-Direct

By Richard Fisher

To expand its strategic military reach on Earth and in space, China seeks to export space related infrastructure to advance bi-lateral space relationships, but at the same time seeks military benefits from its “commercial” space sector’s activities.

Africa has been especially targeted by China for space network building via exports of space infrastructure.

On Feb. 17, unofficial state media South China Morning Post (SCMP) relayed that the journal China Defense Conversion, run by the State Administration for Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, had published an article by two researchers from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) affiliated National University of Defense Technology, urging that China make military use of “commercial” space technology.

SCMP quoted the researchers saying, “A military-civil coordination mechanism should be established to integrate the development of military, civilian and commercial space capabilities, and to build a ‘military-civil collaborative’ satellite application system, thereby comprehensively enhancing the resilience and flexibility of China’s space architecture.”

However, it is likely that the PLA, which is responsible for managing all of China’s activities in space, already has mechanisms to ensure that China’s growing “commercial” space sector is being directed to produce military benefits for the PLA.

A recent example of Chinese space sector “commercial dual-use” is how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the PLA have advanced political warfare objectives with extensive social media publication of satellite imagery from “commercial” provider Mizarvision to detail the recent United States military buildup against Iran.

It should also be expected that the PLA will seek dual use benefits from the sale of space infrastructure and space technology to its allies and partners in Africa, in which the African Union’s Space Agency is increasingly aligned with China’s “Space Information Corridor,” a space asset export program under China’s Belt and Road Initiative.

In the year 2000, Namibia and China signed an agreement providing for China to build a space tracking, telemetry and control (TTnC) station near Swakopmund, which has provided guidance and reentry command for all of China’s manned space flights.

Reentry maneuvers for all of China’s manned Shenzhou capsule missions have started over Namibia.

In 2010 and 2019 China highlighted the importance of the Swakopmund TTnC base by sending Chinese astronauts to make good will propaganda visits to the base.

But like the Chinese/PLA TTnC in Neuquen Province of Argentina, the Swakopmund TTnC base is controlled by the PLA and can also be used to guide future PLA Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS) nuclear warhead strikes transiting over Antarctica on their way to attack targets in the United States.

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  ‘Commercial’ space companies press China’s dual use infrastructure export drive