China’s space program has emerged as a source of anxiety for a NATO alliance already alarmed by Russia’s reputed interest in placing nuclear weapons in orbit.
“We are concerned by developments in the PRC’s space capabilities and activities,” NATO declared in the Washington Summit Declaration, a joint statement adopted during the NATO summit in Washington, D.C. “We call on the PRC to support international efforts to promote responsible space behavior. The PRC continues to rapidly expand and diversify its nuclear arsenal with more warheads and a larger number of sophisticated delivery systems.”
Those statements represent a substantial shift in tone from just a few years ago when a spare reference to the “opportunities and challenges” presented by China marked the alliance’s first mention of the communist regime in a NATO summit document.
Yet Russian President Vladimir Putin’s war in Ukraine has forced the United States and its allies to cast a wary eye on military and technological developments in China, particularly given Beijing’s role as a “decisive enabler” of Russia’s military.
“The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) stated ambitions and coercive policies continue to challenge our interests, security and values,” the allies said. “The deepening strategic partnership between Russia and the PRC and their mutually reinforcing attempts to undercut and reshape the rules-based international order, are a cause for profound concern. We are confronted by hybrid, cyber, space, and other threats and malicious activities from state and non-state actors.”
The angst about China percolated around Washington even though Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the trans-Atlantic alliance’s support for Ukraine is taking center stage. While the war in Ukraine has exposed the inadequacy of Western investments in customary defense industry necessities such as the production of artillery and other weapons, China looms as a perceived threat on the cutting edge of technology.
“What I see when I look at all of us, especially in Europe, is that China is going to win this race. I’m not afraid if the U.S. is going to win the race, but if China is going to win this race, then I am afraid,” Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen said during an appearance at the NATO Public Forum on the sidelines of the summit. “China is way ahead of Europe. … We cannot do this on our own, but please be aware about China, and let us not repeat the mistakes we have done about Russia, in the future, with China.”
Frederiksen hailed the presence of the leaders of Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and Japan at the NATO summit as potential flags to mark a path to victory in the technology race, a sentiment echoed in the summit declaration.
“The Indo-Pacific is important for NATO, given that developments in that region directly affect Euro-Atlantic security,” the leaders agreed. “We welcome the continued contributions of our Asia-Pacific partners to Euro-Atlantic security. We are strengthening dialogue to tackle cross-regional challenges and are enhancing our practical cooperation, including through flagship projects in the areas of supporting Ukraine, cyber defense, countering disinformation, and technology. These projects will enhance our ability to work together on shared security interests.”
The allies’ general misgiving about China’s space and nuclear programs was punctuated by a sharper suspicion about Russia’s priorities: “We oppose any placement of nuclear weapons in orbit around Earth, which would violate Article IV of the Outer Space Treaty, and would gravely threaten global security.”
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NATO allies have agreed to “accelerat[e] the integration of space into our planning, exercises, and multi-domain operations” — backstopped by the nuclear forces of the alliance.
“NATO’s deterrence and defense posture is based on an appropriate mix of nuclear, conventional, and missile defense capabilities, complemented by space and cyber capabilities,” they said. “We will employ military and non-military tools in a proportionate, coherent and integrated way to deter all threats to our security and respond in the manner, timing, and in the domain of our choosing.”