By Cemilda Macuacua, China Africa News
Beijing, China | February 23, 2026 – Chinese military researchers have called for deeper integration between China’s fast-growing commercial space sector and the country’s defense systems, arguing that private innovation in orbit should be systematically incorporated into national security planning.
According to reporting by the South China Morning Post, analysts affiliated with Chinese defense institutions believe that commercial satellite companies, launch providers, and space-data firms now possess capabilities that could significantly strengthen military communications, reconnaissance, navigation, and command systems if formally aligned with defense infrastructure.
The reasoning reflects a changing strategic environment. Modern military operations rely heavily on space-based assets from high-resolution imaging to encrypted communications networks. Commercial firms are increasingly capable of delivering these technologies faster and at lower cost than traditional state-only programs. Researchers argue that keeping civilian innovation separate from military development risks duplication, inefficiency, and strategic lag.
Their position also fits within China’s broader national framework known as Military civil fusion, a policy approach designed to reduce barriers between civilian industries and the armed forces. Under this model, advances in aerospace engineering, artificial intelligence, and satellite systems are viewed as dual-use assets that can serve both economic growth and defense modernization.
At a deeper level, the call underscores how space has evolved from a domain of exploration into critical national infrastructure. Satellites now underpin global trade, financial systems, transportation networks, and military operations alike. In that context, integrating commercial space innovation into defense planning is seen not merely as an option, but as a strategic necessity in an increasingly competitive orbital environment.
