Swakopmund tracking station, a Chinese space tracking station in Swakopmund, Namibia, is pictured above. ( CSIS/Hidden Reach/Vantor 2026)
High above Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, a newly expanded satellite facility built by Chinese firms now tracks objects in orbit. Similar Chinese-built or Chinese-operated sites have appeared in Egypt and Namibia, where large satellite dishes, tracking antennas and testing complexes support space missions that can serve both civilian and military purposes.
Together, the facilities form part of a growing global network strengthening China’s ability to track, communicate with and potentially influence activity in space — now widely viewed by defense planners as a new frontier of conflict.
"This is really about who’s winning the space diplomacy race in the Global South," said Matthew Funaiole, a senior fellow at CSIS and one of the report’s authors. "Space is becoming central to economic power, national security, and military capability, and China is positioning itself accordingly."
Once dominated by science and commerce, space is now treated as a warfighting domain alongside land, sea, air and cyberspace. Satellites underpin modern military operations, enabling communications, intelligence collection, missile warning, navigation and targeting.
Experts say China cannot operate a truly global space power from within its own borders alone. Satellites require constant tracking and communication, which is only possible through a worldwide network of ground stations spread across multiple continents. By building facilities overseas, China is closing gaps in its own network and adding redundancy that would be critical in a crisis.
"Chinese-built ground stations can absolutely support civil and scientific missions — and they do," Funaiole said. "But they also provide China with the ability to level up its own national security capabilities."
The Entoto Observatory Space Science Research Center is located on Mt. Entoto close to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. (CSIS/Hidden Reach/Vantor 2026)
Experts say China’s growing role in satellite launches, space infrastructure and data-sharing agreements shows how strategic competition is moving beyond ports, power plants and telecom networks — and into space.
Beyond security concerns, the report warns of economic consequences if China becomes the space partner of choice for the developing world. The global space economy is projected to reach trillions of dollars in the coming decades, and long-term partnerships forged today could determine who dominates that market tomorrow.
Despite China’s momentum, Funaiole stressed that the United States still holds decisive advantages — if it chooses to use them.
"The U.S. still has tremendous strengths," he said, pointing to companies like SpaceX, which he described as "leaps and bounds ahead" of Chinese competitors. "China is trying to emulate that success."
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The question, he said, is whether Washington is willing to treat space not just as a scientific or commercial arena, but as a strategic tool of diplomacy, deterrence, and competition.
"This isn’t an area where it’s too late," Funaiole said. "The U.S. still has the ability to provide a real alternative — but it requires sustained attention and commitment."
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/china-quietly-builds-global-space-network-military-implications-report-warns