Few years back, the entire world experienced the tremors of the bad impacts of the US-China trade tussle. This was followed by COVID-19 Pandemic and then the Ukraine-Russia Crisis. These instances are clear indication that any deviation from the Path of ‘Sustainability, growth and Peace’ is going to lead the world towards damage and disruption. The 21st century World order thus has some very serious lessons to impart to the mankind and that is understanding the reality, potential and practicality of the changing times and keeping focus on maintaining a multi-polar world order.
This makes keeping a watch on China highly imperative. When China says it will beat America in ‘space race’ also with its scientific adventures, many may disbelieve terming it a bombastic statement of sort, however Dragon has often taken the world aback by doing something which no one had earlier anticipated. Getting the facts straight, China- presently the second biggest economy of the world, plans to fly to the Mars in late 2028 to collect rock samples and then delivering them back to the earth by 2031, which is two years ahead of NASA and the European Space Agency, which jointly have planned on a multi-year mission for the red planet. It sufficiently reflects how US-China rivalry appears to be cranking up in space missions also, where Dragon now appears to be romping ahead.
Besides, it is also important to take in note China’s continuous thrust on tech-based undertakings which it may very likely be using in its economic, strategic, and even geopolitical expansion. China launched the world’s first AI-operated crewless ‘mother ship’. This unmanned carrier is capable of launching dozens of drones. The ship named ‘Zhu Hai Yun,’ has been described as epoch making as the world’s first artificial intelligence driven vessel navigates autonomously. Though, China has claimed that the ship would collect relevant data and contribute to disaster mitigation and environmental monitoring only, apprehensions are that the drone mothership could also be used to gather intelligence inputs in the contested zones for military purpose. This must not go unnoticed in a world that often irks on the growing military assertiveness of China around and beyond its territory. The disputes regarding its growing influence in the South China Sea, Tibetan territory, Doklam, Indian Ocean, Siachen, Senkaku Islands etc.
As suggested by the top strategic masters, China’s scientific ventures could be a precursor to a greater and stealthier military plan as information collection systems often have multiple use applications, helping in various ways including enhancing China’s military capabilities through surveillance and data collections. Being the world’s biggest shipbuilder, China already has ambitions to be a maritime super power, which it has reflected not vaguely on many occasions. China’s economic prowess does help it to invest considerable resources into various unmanned platforms like drones and autonomous vehicles with an objective to strengthen its navy. This puts other world powers like US, some within the EU, Japan, etc. to ramp up intelligence, defence capabilities, technology, strategic cooperation, and strong economic cover.
Besides, Pentagon is lagging behind in a new technology called ‘hypersonic weapon’ that China has demonstrated in a space launch and Russia has already used it during its ongoing conflict with Ukraine. The Pentagon has accepted that nation’s first operational hypersonic weapon is late by a year under the new schedule. This weapon is very important as it is very hard to track and destroy it, as it flies five times the speed of sound and can also be maneuvered as per the need of the moment. America’s Lockheed missile has been reported to have failed three consecutive booster motor tests last year, forcing the first test of the entire missile shifting to the end of this year.
Moreover, US and China have perennially been fighting geopolitically, ideologically and economically for decades, however, this new dimension, which is space, is something that the United States has always dominated, but the way things appear to be going on with both countries, China may march ahead its top rival as is also the case in economic competence. This needs to be taken very seriously for nations at individual level as well as on multilateral platforms when consider economic and diplomatic ties.
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