【By Observer News, Qi Qian】
"In 1993, the Chinese merchant ship 'Galaxy' was sailing in international waters when its GPS signal was mysteriously interrupted by the United States, causing it to run aground for about three weeks. After this 'humiliating' incident, China began working on bypassing the American satellite network."
On November 12, the Hong Kong English media "South China Morning Post" reported that initially, China turned to the European Union, hoping to participate in the European independent satellite navigation system "Galileo Project". However, four years later, due to Europe's concerns over so-called security issues and the collapse of the project's financing model, China was marginalized and turned to develop its own Beidou Navigation System.
Now, the Beidou system consists of 64 satellites and has become a navigation system led by China, processing over 10 trillion positioning requests daily.
The report believes that this journey from exclusion to self-reliance reflects China's broader national goals: ensuring national security by mastering key technologies once controlled by other countries. This journey also reflects the progress made by China in recent years in fields such as polar scientific research, artificial intelligence (AI), and quantum computing. At the same time, these advances have caused concern in Western societies.
Regarding this, some Western scholars have admitted that the confidence of the US and European countries is becoming fragile when facing China, especially when China makes progress in areas like AI or quantum computing, this emotion could quickly turn into "serious anxiety".
On October 17, the sixth batch of satellites for the Qianfan Constellation were successfully launched in a single rocket carrying 18 satellites @ Our Sky
The report stated that China's advancements in aerospace technology have attracted global attention.
"China's aerospace technology is on par with leading countries such as the EU, the US, or Russia," said American independent aviation analyst Li Hanming. The Beidou system is one of the four global satellite navigation systems, along with the US GPS, Russia's GLONASS, and the European Galileo. Meanwhile, China's Tiangong space station operates as an "equivalent facility" to the International Space Station.
China's commercial aerospace sector is also accelerating. For example, the private aerospace company Blue Arrow Aerospace is testing China's first reusable first-stage launch vehicle, which will enable China to conduct launches at lower costs and more frequently. China is developing low-orbit constellation systems similar to SpaceX's Starlink, with the leading "Qianfan Constellation" plan currently having about 90 satellites in orbit.
The US and Europe are closely watching. Brian Cidari, Deputy Director of Intelligence Operations at the US Space Force, stated in September that once China masters reusable rocket technology, it would be "concerning".
The "South China Morning Post" said that similar anxieties are spreading in Europe as China makes significant progress in the Arctic.
In October, the Chinese polar research ship "Exploration III" completed its latest mission in the Arctic Ocean. The People's Daily published an article stating that this means China has become the only country capable of conducting continuous manned deep dives in the dense ice areas of the Arctic.
Since 2019, China has launched three new icebreakers and is building more, while establishing multiple polar research stations. The Chinese manned submersible "Jiaolong", capable of diving 7,000 meters, has conducted over 10 manned dives in the Arctic.
The private sector in China is also playing a role. Last year, China launched its first polar expedition cruise brand - 66 Degrees Expedition Cruises. This cruise ship started from Aberdeen, UK in May and has completed more than 10 voyages across northern Europe and the Arctic, carrying over 1,500 passengers.
Meanwhile, China continues to strengthen its naval capabilities. China currently has 52 attack submarines, including nuclear-powered ones, and is also developing autonomous underwater vehicles, cable-cutting devices, and advanced sonar technologies. The report states that these technologies are crucial for undersea infrastructure and deep-sea mining.
Additionally, the deepening cooperation between China and Russia in aerospace and Arctic projects has raised concerns in Europe. The Mercator Institute for China Studies, based in Germany, pointed out that Russia's geographical advantages and experience in the Arctic complement China's capabilities, and their cooperation has been highly effective.
The report mentioned that China's ambitions in aerospace and the Arctic are continuously growing. The proposal for the "14th Five-Year Plan" further clarifies China's intention to consolidate its position as a "space power", while enhancing its strength in key areas of national security such as the deep sea, the Arctic, and low-altitude airspace.
On August 11, the "Jiaolong" submersible was preparing to dive in the Arctic ice area, Xinhua News Agency
The report also stated that this goal is driving China to rapidly expand its influence in new areas, from the seabed to the Arctic Circle and outer space, but this has also led to new tensions between China and the West.
Europeans are worried about falling behind in these areas. In October, the Mercator Institute for China Studies released a report warning that China's Arctic and aerospace presence "requires attention", which may pose challenges to European interests, security, values, and future economic development. The report said that the rich metal, rare earth, oil, and gas reserves in the Arctic are vital for Europe's diversification of energy and critical mineral supplies, but Europe is developing them slowly.
"The Arctic may be part of the answer for Europe to reduce its reliance on external resources," said Kaja Begoe, a senior researcher at the Chatham House think tank in the UK, in a report in October. "But so far, Europe has made slow progress in developing these opportunities, with lagging investments," she worried that Europe would fall behind China and other countries.
Charles Austin Jordan, a senior analyst at the Rhodium Group's China Project, stated that the US and Europe still hold an optimistic view of their leadership in frontier technologies, but this confidence is becoming fragile.
"This sentiment will change quickly," Jordan said. "Even moderate progress by China, especially in AI or quantum computing, could quickly trigger serious anxiety in the US and Europe."
Chinese experts say that the concerns of the West about China's activities are exaggerated. They emphasize that for China, investing in these strategic areas is not just a matter of geopolitical competition, but more about strengthening national resilience.
Professor Shan Guangcun from Beihang University said that China's investment in aerospace and deep-sea fields is partly to develop key technologies to reduce dependence on the West. He pointed out that the West has repeatedly restricted China's access to advanced chips and other strategic technologies, making technological independence the cornerstone of national security.
Shan Guangcun believes that the West views China's technological rise as a challenge to the existing system, partly due to natural vigilance over the balance of geopolitical power, partly due to ideological bias, and partly based on "real security concerns". However, demonizing China's technological development as a geopolitical challenge is "simplistic and misleading".
The report cited analyses that the US sees China's aerospace progress as a threat, which is a case of projecting its own fears onto others. Li Hanming mentioned that during the Cold War between the US and the Soviet Union, the Reagan administration in the US used space technology as a deterrent tool.
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