China’s audacious claims to various seas, islands, and territories have long been an international concern. Now, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which effectively governs the nation, is setting its sights on an even more ambitious target: space.
This alarming revelation comes from Gordon G. Chang, a respected senior fellow at the Gatestone Institute. On the institute’s website, he outlines China’s plans to collaborate with Russia in establishing a base on the moon’s south pole.
Chang warns that if China succeeds in constructing this lunar facility, it will likely attempt to prevent other nations from landing on the moon. He explains that China aims to annex parts of our solar system closest to us.
Richard Fisher of the International Assessment and Strategy Center further elaborates that Chinese control of the moon would grant them control over Cis-Lunar space – the region between Earth and the moon. This would enable them to disable deep-space satellites crucial for early warning systems against ballistic missile attacks.
In 2021, Russia’s space agency Roscosmos and China National Space Administration agreed on a plan for a shared moon base named ‘International Lunar Research Station’. This is not new information for Beijing and Moscow.
Yura Borisov, chief of Roscosmos, recently announced plans with their Chinese counterparts to install a power reactor on the moon between 2033 and 2035. China has been active on the moon since 2013, with its Chang’e-3 and Chang’e-4 missions gathering data for a potential permanent location.
China’s plans also include launching large, reusable rockets as early as next year. This should serve as a wake-up call to the rest of the world about what could be next.
Ye Peijian, in 2017, likened the universe to an ocean, the moon to the Diaoyu Islands, and Mars to Huangyan Island – both territories already claimed by China. He warned that if China does not stake its claim now, future generations will blame them when other nations take over.
Even NASA chief Bill Nelson has expressed concern that China might declare lunar territory under the guise of scientific exploration. While international treaties prohibit such claims, he questions whether these would deter China from pursuing its ambitions.
The significance of claiming the moon’s south pole lies in its ice content which can be converted into rocket fuel for Mars missions or used to hydrate Chinese taikonauts and Russian cosmonauts. Brandon Weichert, author of “Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower,” likens it to controlling all water sources in a desert.