What happens if China gets back to the moon first? As the US-China rivalry extends beyond Earth, Ian Bremmer and China expert Elizabeth Economy explore what a new space race could mean for American power, national pride, and the competition between the world’s two biggest powers. With China rapidly expanding its space capabilities, could a Chinese astronaut planting the flag on the moon become a defining moment in the next chapter of the rivalry?
Economy argues that the US is far from losing the space race. America is a global leader in technologies like reusable rockets and putting satellites in near-Earth orbit, especially in the fast-growing private sector. The US is also expanding international partnerships through the Artemis Accords. But she also challenges the idea that every Chinese achievement is an American defeat. Putting a human on the moon would benefit all of humanity. The goal, she says, shouldn’t be to prevent China from succeeding, but to make sure Beijing doesn’t develop the ability to use its growing space capabilities to threaten US security.
“Our objective should be to ensure that the Chinese don't gain the capability of disabling all our satellites,” Economy says, “But I don't think it should be to prevent China from having a Chinese astronaut on the moon.”
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