China’s Preparations for Challenges from the West

Image: Reddy Dendoktoor, New Year, 2025, Greeting Card (Publicdomainpictures.net)

回顾中国2024年的重要发展,可以发现“金砖国家”和“技术”是今年头条新闻的两个核心主题,因为中国致力于增强抵御西方日益严峻挑战的能力。这些发展在 2025 年会如何演变?它们会把中国引向何方?答案尚不清楚。但可以确定的是,中国在过去一年取得的某些令人瞩目的成就,例如月球探索,将使中国有胆量在2025年做出进一步与西方分道扬镳的选择。西方的政策制定者应该思考,他们的行动是否有助于将中国推向更令人担忧的对手。Read more

China’s Preparations for Challenges from the West

Image: Reddy Dendoktoor, New Year, 2025, Greeting Card (Publicdomainpictures.net)

A review of China’s key developments in 2024 reveals that the “BRICS” and “technology” were two central themes behind this year’s headlines, as the country focuses on strengthening its ability to withstand growing challenges from the West. How will these developments evolve in 2025? Where will they lead China? The answer is not yet clear. What is clear, however, is that certain of the remarkable successes China has achieved this past year, such as its exploration of the Moon, will likely embolden the nation to make choices in 2025 that will cause it to diverge further from the West. Policymakers in the West should ponder whether their actions are serving to push China away and towards adversaries of greater concern.Read more

Musk, Space Technology, and U.S.-China Relations

Image: O Sulvia, Futuristic Space Ship (Publicdomainpictures.net)

今年 7 月,中国成功从月球背面取回月球样本后,丝络谈™创始人兼首席执行官熊美英博士立即鼓励中国邀请包括美国在内的不同国家的科学家研究这些样本。据路透社报道,目前一些美国大学正在为开展此类中美联合研究做出努力。此潜在的中美太空合作是否会为埃隆·马斯克打开一扇大门,让他能利用其与北京和候任总统唐纳德·特朗普的关系,为美国投资中国太空相关产业创造双赢的机会?哪些类型的太空相关投资有可能通过中国和美国的严格监管审查?未来几个月中国在太空相关投资方面的“愿望清单”将如何演变,以及美国的相应反应,将有助于回答这些问题。Read more

Musk, Space Technology, and U.S.-China Relations

Image: O Sulvia, Futuristic Space Ship (Publicdomainpictures.net)

In July, immediately after China successfully retrieved lunar samples from the far side of the Moon, Dr. Mei Gechlik, Founder and CEO of SINOTALKS®, encouraged China to invite scientists from different countries, including the United States, to study these samples. According to Reuters, a few U.S. universities are now contributing their efforts to make such U.S.-China joint studies possible. Will this potential U.S.-China space collaboration open a door for Elon Musk to leverage his connections with Beijing and President-elect Donald Trump to create win-win opportunities for U.S. investment in China’s space-related industries? What types of space-related investments will likely survive rigorous regulatory reviews in China and the United States? The way in which China’s “wish list” for space-related investments evolves over the coming months, along with corresponding U.S. reactions, will help answer these questions.Read more

Lunar Time and the BRICS’s Space Ambitions

Image: Victoria Borodinova, Planet, Solar System, Comet, Space, Sky (Publicdomainpictures.net)

中美两国为制定标准月球时间而展开的竞赛引起了全球关注。然而,将月球时间标准化只是第一步。真正的竞赛在于,美国或中国制定的时间能否有效应用于其他国家可从中获益的太空行动。如果其他国家看到成果,这将确保他们持续认可应用于让其受益的太空行动的月球时间。只有得到如此坚实的支持,被认可的月球时间才会成为盛行的标准。中国最近推出了一项分三阶段进行的计划,将该国的计时系统应用于一系列月球行动。凭借其太空领域的雄心,不断壮大的金砖国家或许能够帮助中国实现其三阶段计划并分享该计划的成功果实。当这种情况发生时,中国的月球时间就有很大机会占上风了。Read more

Lunar Time and the BRICS’s Space Ambitions

Image: Victoria Borodinova, Planet, Solar System, Comet, Space, Sky (Publicdomainpictures.net)

The U.S.-China race to set a standard lunar time has captured global attention. Standardizing lunar time is, however, only the first step. The real race lies in whether any time set by the United States or China can be applied effectively to space operations from which other countries can benefit. If other countries see results, this will ensure their sustained endorsement of the lunar time used in the operations benefiting them. Only with such solid support will the endorsed lunar time become the prevailing standard. China recently rolled out a three-stage plan to apply its timing system to a series of lunar operations. With its space ambitions, the expanding BRICS may be able to help China bring its three-stage plan to fruition and share the fruits of such success. When this happens, China’s lunar time has a good chance to prevail.Read more

The Moon, Artificial Intelligence, & U.S.-China Relations

Image: Irina Pechkareva, A Space with the Moon (Publicdomainpictures.net)

尽管中国被美国排除在该国的太空项目之外,但中国正在进行的从月球背面收集岩石和土壤的任务标志着中国太空探索的另一个里程碑。这一成就应该让美国政策制定者思考,采取类似的排除做法是否会有助或损害美国为了在中美人工智能竞赛中确保领先地位而付出的努力。更重要的是,鉴于人工智能操纵的潜在灾难性后果,我们需要一种更好的做法,专注于在全球范围内创造利益,而不是让情况演变成两个国际大国之间简单的输赢竞赛。Read more

The Moon, Artificial Intelligence, & U.S.-China Relations

Image: Irina Pechkareva, A Space with the Moon (Publicdomainpictures.net)

China’s ongoing mission to collect rocks and soil from the far side of the Moon marks another milestone in the country’s space exploration despite its exclusion from U.S. space projects. This accomplishment should make U.S. policymakers ponder whether adopting a similar exclusionary approach will help or hurt the United States’s efforts to secure the lead in the U.S.-China AI race. More importantly, the potential catastrophic consequences of AI manipulation demand a better approach that focuses on generating benefits at a global level, rather than devolving into a simple win-lose race between two international powers.Read more