‘Extreme situations’: China’s space superpower goals are being shaped by security concerns

Advantages of coastal operation outweighed by ‘strategic hinterland’ policy in preferred site for massive commercial space facility

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A Long March-3B carrier rocket carrying navigation satellites blasts off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre on September 19. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 2:00pm, 15 Oct 2024Updated: 2:28am, 16 Oct 2024

China is considering another inland site as it makes plans for a massive commercial spaceport – despite the advantages of its coastal facility in the southern island province of Hainan.

According to the official Sichuan Daily newspaper, the new spaceport could be built in Mianning county in the southwestern province’s Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture, in line with China’s strategy of strengthening its “strategic hinterland”.

The strategy was adopted by the third plenum – the party’s key policy meeting in July – as a backup for aerospace and other strategic industries, as well as building up food and other reserves “to meet national strategic needs in extreme situations”.

The proposed site is less than 100km (62 miles) from the Xichang Satellite Launch Centre, which has been operating since 1984, sending more than 200 broadcast, communications and meteorological satellites into orbit.

Dong Weimin, a member of the Sichuan party Standing Committee, visited the selected location for the new spaceport, as well as the nearby site for a proposed aerospace hi-tech manufacturing industrial park in the city of Xichang, the Friday report said.

“[We will] push for the launch site park project to be approved … and lay out clearer plans for the construction areas including the launch site and regions for services, and cultural and tourism purposes.”