China wants greater presence in space, says daily
August 29th, 2012 - 1:52 pm ICT by IANS
Beijing, Aug 29 (IANS) China is seeking a greater presence in space, said a state-run Chinese daily which admitted that the country was “decades behind the US” in terms of space technology.
An article in the Global Times said that astronaut Neil Armstrong’s death has stirred up a feeling of nostalgia among the Western observers over the heyday of the US space programme.
“It also unexpectedly generated a new round of speculation over which will be the next nation to land an astronaut on the moon. China, in the eyes of many strategists, is closest to this goal,” said the daily.
It said that since US President Barack Obama cancelled NASA’s return-to-the-moon programme in February 2010, “there have been worries that Obama’s ‘miscalculation’ would help China’s space ambitions, and that a Chinese landing on the moon would weaken the US’ technological hegemony”.
It referred to a Foreign Policy magazine article “Red Moon Rising” which speculates about a future Chinese “moon colony”.
“China, which is decades behind the US in terms of space technology, is seeking a greater presence in space. However, there is neither an official plan nor a national desire to engage in a comprehensive competition with space powers like the US and Russia,” said the daily.
“…China’s lunar exploration is conducted based on research progress and the nation’s practical needs,” it added.
Stating that a moon probe should become a vigorous drive for China’s scientific and technological upgrading, the daily said: “Western noises around China’s space development mirror the anxiety facing this emerging nation.”
“Such worries prevail in almost all fields where China is making progress.
“Many Westerners instinctively interpret these progresses as threats, and thus demonize China’s motives in making such advances.”
- `China doesn't want carrier competition with India' - Aug 30, 2012
- Chinese woman may reach space by 2012 - Apr 30, 2011
- China to put man on the moon by 2030 - Mar 04, 2011
- China may become second nation to land humans on Moon by 2020 - Feb 03, 2010
- Space economy will boom in China, says daily - Jun 18, 2012
- China to prepare astronauts for long stay in space - Jan 18, 2011
- China `threat' a Western perception, say Chinese experts - Nov 09, 2010
- Liu is first Chinese woman in space - Jun 16, 2012
- Joining Chinese space mission doesn't come easy! (Lead) - Mar 25, 2012
- Neil Armstrong, first man on moon, is dead (Lead) - Aug 26, 2012
- Olympics helped Chinese give new thinking, says daily - Aug 13, 2012
- India, China reject confrontation, pitch for greater trust (Lead) - Jan 09, 2012
- End of space shuttle, end to US dominance of space? - Jul 06, 2011
- China aspires to put a man on moon by 2030 - Mar 04, 2011
- Anti-China coalition a US containment policy: Chinese daily - Nov 11, 2010
Tags: astronaut neil armstrong, barack obama, chinese landing, chinese moon, foreign policy magazine, global times, landing on the moon, lunar exploration, miscalculation, moon colony, moon probe, nasa, neil armstrong, red moon, research progress, return to the moon, space development, space technology, strategists, western observers