China’s space ambitions in Africa have been growing rapidly in recent years, as Beijing seeks to expand its influence and capabilities on the continent through space cooperation. China has been actively engaging with African countries to develop their space programs, offering financing, technical assistance, and training.
Satellite Launches and Infrastructure Development
One of the key ways China is supporting Africa’s space ambitions is by helping to build and launch satellites. China has already launched satellites for several African countries, including Nigeria, Algeria, Ethiopia and Sudan. As of October 2021, China had established bilateral space partnerships with 23 out of Africa’s 54 countries, demonstrating the breadth of its engagement across the continent.
China is also assisting in the development of ground station infrastructure in Africa. For example, China helped build satellite assembly, integration and testing facilities in Egypt, making it the first African country with complete satellite development capabilities. In Ethiopia, China funded the development of two ground stations, including a multi-satellite receiving station, enhancing the country’s ability to utilize space-based data and services.
Training and Capacity Building
In addition to hardware, China is providing extensive training for African space professionals. Chinese instructors have already trained over 100 engineers from various African countries. These training programs often involve “free junkets” to China with the expectation that trainees will provide favorable coverage of China in return. However, some African journalists who participated in such programs have pushed back against perceived attempts to influence their reporting, highlighting potential tensions in these capacity building efforts.
Promoting Beidou Adoption
A key motivation for China’s space engagement in Africa is to encourage adoption of its Beidou satellite navigation system as an alternative to the dominant American GPS. In 2018, China established its first overseas Beidou center in Tunisia to promote the system’s use across Africa. Since then, there have been more than 14 meetings between Chinese institutions and the African Union to discuss Beidou adoption, underscoring the strategic importance China places on expanding the reach of its indigenous navigation system.
Geopolitical Implications
Geopolitical factors are also driving China’s space ambitions in Africa. By supporting the development of African space capabilities, China aims to boost its influence and soft power on the continent as it competes with the United States for global dominance. Some analysts argue the US has been slow to wake up to China’s expanding space footprint in Africa and currently lacks a clear strategy to counter Beijing’s growing clout in this domain.
Controversies and Concerns
However, China’s space investments in Africa are not without controversy. There are concerns about the potential dual-use nature of space technology and the risk of African space assets being leveraged for military purposes by China in the future. The opacity of many of these space cooperation agreements makes it difficult to assess their full scope and implications. There are also worries China could use spaceports in Africa to circumvent international space law, given some host countries have not signed key treaties governing outer space activities.
Future Prospects and Challenges
Looking ahead, China’s space ambitions in Africa are only expected to grow in scale and sophistication. China has invited African countries to conduct experiments on its newly completed space station and is deepening cooperation on climate monitoring and other earth observation applications. As African space agencies continue to develop, China is positioning itself to be a key partner, which could have significant geopolitical ramifications in the intensifying space race with the United States.
To compete with China’s expanding space presence in Africa, the United States will need to step up its own engagement and offer compelling alternatives to Chinese assistance. This could involve increasing support for African space agencies, expanding educational and research partnerships, and working to ensure the benefits of space technology are widely shared. The US should also push for greater transparency in space cooperation agreements to mitigate risks of dual-use technology transfer and military exploitation.
Ultimately, African countries will need to carefully balance their space cooperation with China and other actors to maximize benefits while protecting their own interests and sovereignty. As the space sector continues to grow in strategic and commercial importance, how African nations navigate the complex geopolitical landscape will have major implications for their own development trajectories as well as the global balance of power.
Opportunities for African Space Development
The rise of indigenous African space capabilities, enabled by partnerships with China and other spacefaring nations, could transform the continent’s role in the global space economy and governance architecture. By developing their own satellites and related infrastructure, African countries can harness space technology to address critical challenges in areas like agriculture, natural resource management, disaster response, and connectivity.
However, realizing this potential will require significant investment, capacity building, and policy frameworks to ensure the sustainable and equitable development of the African space sector. It will also demand careful management of relationships with external partners to maximize technology transfer and local industry development while safeguarding national interests.
Shaping Global Space Governance
As African space programs mature, they could also play a greater role in shaping international norms and regulations around outer space activities. With the rapid growth of commercial space actors and the increasing congestion and competition in Earth’s orbits, there is an urgent need for updated global governance frameworks to ensure the long-term sustainability and peaceful use of space.
African countries, many of whom have not historically been major players in space, have an opportunity to bring fresh perspectives and priorities to these debates. By advocating for inclusive and equitable approaches to space governance that prioritize sustainable development and the needs of emerging spacefaring nations, African voices could help to shape a more just and resilient space order.
Mitigating Risks and Dependencies
At the same time, the geopolitical tensions surrounding space cooperation with China also highlight the risks of a new space race on the African continent. If left unchecked, great power rivalry could lead to the militarization of African space assets and infrastructure, undermining stability and development. It could also result in African countries becoming overly dependent on Chinese technology and expertise, limiting their own autonomy and agency in the space domain.
To mitigate these risks, African countries should pursue a diversified approach to space cooperation that engages a range of international partners based on their own strategic priorities and values. They should also invest in developing indigenous capabilities and fostering a vibrant local space ecosystem, including private sector actors and research institutions.
The Way Forward
Regional collaboration among African space programs could also help to pool resources, share knowledge, and amplify African perspectives in global space governance forums. Initiatives like the African Space Agency, which aims to coordinate and promote space activities across the continent, could play a key role in advancing these goals.
As the space age enters a new era of increased access and competition, Africa has a historic opportunity to harness the power of space technology for its own development and to shape the future of this critical domain. By pursuing a strategic and sovereign approach to space cooperation, grounded in the principles of sustainability, equity, and peaceful use, African countries can ensure that the benefits of the final frontier are shared by all.
China’s growing space presence in Africa is thus both an opportunity and a challenge for the continent’s development aspirations. While Chinese assistance has accelerated the growth of African space capabilities, it also raises questions about the terms and implications of this engagement. Managing these complexities will require African agency, international cooperation, and a commitment to the responsible and inclusive development of outer space for the benefit of all humankind.
As the space race heats up and geopolitical tensions rise, Africa’s choices and actions in this domain will have far-reaching consequences not just for the continent, but for the future of global space governance and security. The decisions made today will shape the trajectory of Africa’s space ambitions and its role in the new space era for decades to come.