China, Europe and the U.S. Struggle for Satellite Supremacy
The saga over who owns a German satellite operator demonstrates how quickly Western attitudes to Chinese investment have changed.
A satellite being launched on board an Ariane 5 from Europe’s Spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana, August 6, 2019. Credit: European Space Agency
The battle for control over vital communications satellites orbiting space has sparked a long-running corporate drama back on Earth which — though centered around the tiny European country of Liechtenstein — demonstrates the intense rivalry and mutual distrust between China and the U.S. and Europe.
Last month, the German government blocked a Chinese consortium’s efforts to gain full control of Kleo Connect, a local firm which had plans to launch this decade the sort of low earth orbit (LEO) satellites that could greatly enhance global communications, but which also have important potential military uses.
In its 47-page decision, reviewed by The Wire, Germany’s ministry for economic affairs declared that the move by the Chinese investors to fully acquire a strategically important technology posed a risk to the country’s national security.
There is increasing skepticism, if not suspicion, in the way the Chinese are investing in Europe — to what end, and what is it t
Exclusive longform investigative journalism, Q&As, news and analysis, and data on Chinese business elites and corporations. We publish China scoops you won't find anywhere else.
A weekly curated reading list on China from David Barboza, Pulitzer Prize-winning former Shanghai correspondent for The New York Times.
A daily roundup of China finance, business and economics headlines.
We offer discounts for groups, institutions and students. Go to our Subscriptions page for details.
A decade ago, China arrived on the global art scene with deep pockets and an abundance of swagger. Recently, however, China's economic downturn has caused a spate of museums to close and once prominent collectors to sell their collections. Can China ever achieve its dreams of "cultural self-confidence"?
The Harvard professor discusses the effects on Chinese society of the country's high-tech development, and how the pandemic may have shifted public attitudes.
The Global Intelligence Platform used by The Wire China