--- title: "China Is Quietly Building a Space Empire — and a Former Trump Official Warns It Could Threaten US Dominance" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/294345082.md" description: "A report by the Center for Strategic and International Studies warns that China's commercial space industry, now comprising 600 firms, threatens US dominance. Chinese companies like Guowang and Thousand Sails aim to deploy 10,000 satellites to compete with SpaceX's Starlink. The report highlights China's industrial capacity to produce thousands of satellites via gigafactories and its expansion into global markets through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative, urging US policymakers to address this growing competitive edge." datetime: "2026-07-30T10:04:31.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/294345082.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/294345082.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/294345082.md) --- # China Is Quietly Building a Space Empire — and a Former Trump Official Warns It Could Threaten US Dominance While the U.S. and China compete fiercely across multiple sectors, commercial space has been a sector that has seen Washington maintain an edge over Beijing. However, analysts at the Center for Strategic and International Studies warn that China’s commercial space industry boom could change that. ## 600 Chinese Commercial Space Firms Exist Today According to the report published on Wednesday, the number of Chinese firms, since Beijing opened up the industry to private investment, grew from a few “dozen firms to some 600 today,” the report said. It also pointed to two Chinese firms, Guowang and Thousand Sails, that plan on deploying 10,000 satellites to compete with Starlink, the report said. **Read Also: 'The SpaceX Factor?' Analyst On Why China Is Lagging Behind In LEO Satellite Race** The firm, which is led by **Kari Bingen**, a former Principal Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence under the President **Donald Trump** administration from 2017 to 2020, says that “commercial launch and satellite broadband have emerged as the clearest examples of Beijing’s ambitions.” The report pointed to the establishment of at least 10 start-ups as direct competitors to State-run **Long March**. **Read Also: Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin Finally Gets A Big Win With New Glenn — And SpaceX CEO Elon Musk Couldn't Help But Applaud** “U.S. policymakers must understand these dynamics now, before the United States finds itself outpaced in sheer industrial capacity and output,” the firm said, adding that the companies were capable of producing 4,100–5,000 satellites via “gigafactories” and “smart factories.” ## SpaceX As the Benchmark The report then said that **Elon Musk**\-led **Space Exploration Technologies Corp.** (NASDAQ:SPCX) had “become both a benchmark and catalyst for China’s launch startups and satellite broadband ventures, with entrepreneurs emulating the Falcon 9 and Starlink playbook.” **Read Also: Elon Musk's SpaceX Wins $1.6 Billion Space Force Contract for 18 Falcon 9 Launches** Companies like Thousand Sails have pursued agreements with Brazilian as well as Indonesian companies to “expand rural satellite internet,” the report mentioned, while **GalaxySpace**, another Chinese firm, “positioned Thailand as a regional hub providing integrated networking solutions and secured agreements in more than 10 countries.” The firm points to China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which consolidates “market-oriented space services such as broadband, imagery, and broadcasting to partner nations,” via the “Space Silk Road” or the “Spatial Information Corridor,” the report said. Notably, NASA Administrator **Jared Isaacman** had earlier said that the U.S. was in a space race with China, with Beijing targeting a moon landing by 2029, he said. **Read Also: Can SpaceX Help Save Earth From The Critical Mineral Crunch?** _Check out more of Benzinga’s Future Of Mobility coverage by_ following this link. _Image via Shutterstock_ ### Related Stocks - [SPCX.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SPCX.US.md) - [SPCH.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SPCH.US.md) - [SPCF.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SPCF.US.md) - [SPAL.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SPAL.US.md) - [SNK.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SNK.US.md) - [SSPC.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SSPC.US.md) - [SPCU.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SPCU.US.md) - [LOFF.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/LOFF.US.md) - [SSTK.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/SSTK.US.md) ## Related News & Research - [SpaceX clears estimates for first public report, revenue soars 92%](https://longbridge.com/en/news/294865402.md) - [SpaceX (NasdaqGS:SPCX) Crowds Out Rival Launches As Falcon 9 Fills Through 2029](https://longbridge.com/en/news/294844868.md) - [SpaceX Earnings Preview: The Five Questions That Matter Most](https://longbridge.com/en/news/294821183.md) - [Lockup expiry will offer the next test of investor appetite for SpaceX shares](https://longbridge.com/en/news/294905336.md) - [BREAKINGVIEWS-SpaceX preps to separate financial booster rocket](https://longbridge.com/en/news/294962638.md)