Development of China's space program in the geopolitical region of the Asia-Pacific

Irkutsk State University, Department of Oriental and Regional Studies of the Asia-Pacific Region, 664003, Irkutsk, Karl Marx Street 1, Russia

^* Corresponding author: tamerlan689f17@yandex.ru

Abstract

The entire world watched the space race between the USSR and the USA in the 20th century. Many countries have increased their scientific potential and developed their own space strategies. China, due to its technological backwardness, could not claim the role of a full-fledged space power. The Cultural Revolution in China put numerous space projects in stagnation. When Deng Xiaoping took office in 1978, the country revived the development of sciences and technologies; the restoration of the space program began. The country's leadership believed that peace and development were the main tasks that guided countries and communities. The article analyzes the functioning of China's space program in the Asian-Pacific geopolitical region. The paper is based on a wide range of sources, which made it possible to identify China's space program’s features: China had to go through the main stages of space industry development in a shorter time frame, compared with the predecessor countries; the need for China to ensure security from non-traditional types of threats, including space threats, contributed to the activation of scientific and technical developments in this field.