China goes from strength to strength

China gains superpower status through this week's twin triumphs in space and sea.

By TIMOTHY SPANGLER
china flag 311 (photo credit: Jason Lee / Reuters)
china flag 311
(photo credit: Jason Lee / Reuters)
China moved closer this week to achieving undisputed superpower status by demonstrating their technological and organizational acumen in both the heights of space and the depths of the oceans.
Above our heads, the Chinese space agency managed to successfully dock the spacecraft Shenzhou 9 with the experimental Tiangong 1 space lab in orbit over 200 miles above the earth.  The manual docking echoes a similar crucial step that both American and Soviet space programs first accomplished four decades ago.  Meanwhile, a manned submarine called the Jiaolong achieved a record depth of over 7,000 meters in the Pacific Ocean.
The simultaneous triumphs were broadcast live on state-run Chinese television to huge audiences.
Of course, when the United States and the Soviet Union first conquered space, they had to do so with less computing power than is now commonly found in a discount cell phone.  Critics could argue that in re-enacting the 1960s space race using contemporary technology, China has needed relatively little of the initiative and bravery that Americans and Russians demonstrated 40 years ago.
Regardless, Chinese leaders have clearly shown that they have great ambitions for their country and a willingness to dedicate the time and resources necessary to engage in enterprises that the rest of the developed work, including erstwhile superpower, the United States, now shuns.
China is determined to be a leading force in space exploration, and the Chinese public are following each new accomplishment with fascination and pride.  Shenzou 9, launched from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi Desert in northwest China, is only the fourth manned space mission attempted by the Chinese, and its first since 2008.  However, manual docking of spacecraft in orbit is a very important step towards China’s goal of establishing and operating a space station before the end of this decade.  China has made clear that its ultimate goal is to eventually put its own Chinese astronaut on the moon.
Notably, the three-man crew of the Shenzhou 9 actual comprised only two men, Jing Haipeng, 45, and Liu Wang, 43.  The third astronaut on board was Liu Yang, a 34 year old female air force pilot, who now has the honor of being the first Chinese woman in orbit, further increasing national pride.
More commercially important that China’s space race is its commitment to deep sea exploration.  Unlike America, which focuses its deep-sea diving program on scientific research, the Chinese government has instead prioritized finding new sources of natural resources.  With the success of the three-man Jiaolong submarine, over 99 percent of the planet’s sea floor is now within reach of China.
Underwater mining is now economically viable and preliminary research indicates that valuable “rare earth” metals, necessary to build the cell phones and computers that are essential to modern life, may be at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean in significant quantities.  Interestingly, China was also granted this month a 15 year concession by the International Seabed Authority to prospect an underwater range that stretches from Africa to Antarctica.
What do China’s neighbors make of its recent successes?
Given the long-standing, unresolved territorial disputes that remain between China and countries in the region, it is unsurprising that some Asian countries are worried about the short-term consequences of China’s increasing power that will be felt here on the ground.
It is understandable that a nation such as China, with eye-watering economic growth and immense national pride, wants to plant its flag in strategically, and emotionally, important locations.  In the United States, unfortunately, such endeavors have been relegated to the past.
Instead, Americans last month made do with watching the much more modest attempt by private firm Space Exploration Technologies, or “SpaceX”, to launch its own unmanned Dragon capsule into space.  Dragon managed to be the first privately owned spacecraft to reach the International Space Station.  Since NASA shut down its space shuttle program in 2011, the US now lacks its own means of getting personnel into space.  As a result, private companies are trying to succeed, where the US government now fears to tread.
Why is China is spending billions of dollars on its space program, as well as sizeable sums of money on its ocean exploration program and other key technological development projects?  Because it can!
Of course, the Chinese economy has begun to falter in recent months.  Chinese officials are coming to grips with the consequences of lower productivity and demand in a country that has only known stratospheric growth in recent decades.  Since gathering timely and correct data in China is still a Herculean task, the extent of the slowdown is difficult to measure precisely, although certain indicators, such as electricity usage, have declined markedly.  Many officials in the provinces are believed to be falsifying reports and accounts to their government bosses in Beijing.  As a result, it may be difficult for senior Chinese leaders to effectively navigate through any relative “recession” that may be unfolding.
However, Chinese achievements this week in space and in the ocean depths demonstrate their country’s ability to translate economic growth into superpower status.  Without consistently strong economic growth, the ability to dream big dreams and to achieve them simply evaporates.
Meanwhile, the rest of the world will need to get used to watching further Chinese successes from the sidelines.
The writer is a commentator who divides his time between the United Kingdom and Southern California. He has appeared on CNN, CNBC, BBC and Sky News, and has been featured in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, The Financial Times and The Economist.