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2011 report to congress - U.S.-China Economic and Security Review ...

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207<strong>China</strong>’s leadership also places a high priority on lunar missions,which it views as perhaps the most visible <strong>and</strong> prestigious spacerelatedaccomplishment. Chinese experts <strong>and</strong> foreign observers anticipateseveral breakthroughs in <strong>China</strong>’s lunar exploration activitiesover the next decade. Chinese planners describe lunar explorationin terms of three discrete stages. Stage one, which lastedfrom 2002 <strong>to</strong> 2007, involved orbiting the moon. Stage two, whichbegan in 2008 <strong>and</strong> is set <strong>to</strong> conclude in 2014, involves a moon l<strong>and</strong>ing<strong>and</strong> the use of a rover <strong>to</strong> collect data from the lunar surface.Stage three, scheduled <strong>to</strong> take place from 2015 <strong>to</strong> 2020, involvesthe collection of samples from the lunar surface <strong>and</strong> their return<strong>to</strong> Earth. 279 A manned lunar mission (perhaps as ‘‘stage 4’’) mayalso take place as soon as 2024. 280 Dr. Pace testified that although‘‘<strong>China</strong> does not publicly have a formal program for sending humans<strong>to</strong> the moon,’’ they are ‘‘making progress <strong>to</strong>ward acquiringthe capabilities necessary <strong>to</strong> conduct such missions.’’ *Limitations<strong>China</strong>’s civil space endeavors face various constraints, includingsubstantial bureaucratic <strong>and</strong> organizational inefficiencies. Chineseplanners have yet <strong>to</strong> complete major systemic reforms, the most recentround of which began in 2008 <strong>and</strong> sought <strong>to</strong> ‘‘inject greater civilianmanagement <strong>and</strong> innovation’’ in<strong>to</strong> <strong>China</strong>’s space industries,according <strong>to</strong> Dr. Moltz. 281 However, according <strong>to</strong> <strong>China</strong> space expertEric Hagt, <strong>China</strong>’s space industries remain ‘‘dispersed, bloated,<strong>and</strong> located in geographically isolated regions.’’ 282 This is consistentwith other Chinese state-run industries that, according <strong>to</strong>Dr. Moltz, ‘‘continue <strong>to</strong> suffer from legacy inefficiencies of the socialisteconomy.’’ 283 These characteristics limit the potential for<strong>China</strong>’s space developments <strong>to</strong> benefit other Chinese industries. 284The Advantages of State ControlThe numerous reorganizations of <strong>China</strong>’s space sec<strong>to</strong>r indicatepersistent dissatisfaction with industrial performance. However,state control provides <strong>China</strong>’s space industrial base with certainadvantages. For example, the entire sec<strong>to</strong>r ‘‘has been insulatedfrom many of the pressures affecting the rest of the economy,mainly by its status as a strategic sec<strong>to</strong>r <strong>and</strong> its largely nonmarketinternal relationships,’’ according <strong>to</strong> Ms. Krolikowski.Benefits of this special status include ‘‘direct public investmentin research <strong>and</strong> development; fiscal, tax, <strong>and</strong> financial policies <strong>to</strong>support major national [science <strong>and</strong> technology] projects <strong>and</strong> indigenousinnovation; measures <strong>to</strong> improve market access;concessional pricing systems for l<strong>and</strong> <strong>and</strong> utilities; <strong>and</strong> governmen<strong>to</strong>versight of mergers <strong>and</strong> acquisitions.’’ Finally, benefits extend<strong>to</strong> predictable procurement trends, which allow <strong>China</strong>’sspace industrial base <strong>to</strong> forecast staffing, investment, <strong>and</strong> research<strong>and</strong> development needs. Ms. Krolikowski testified that:dkrause on DSKHT7XVN1PROD with $$_JOB* For example, <strong>China</strong>’s spacesuit ‘‘has boots with heels—<strong>and</strong> other features for walking on asurface as well as floating outside a spacecraft.’’ See U.S.-<strong>China</strong> <strong>Economic</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>Security</strong> <strong>Review</strong>Commission, Hearing on the Implications of <strong>China</strong>’s Military <strong>and</strong> Civil Space Programs, writtentestimony of Scott Pace, May 11, <strong>2011</strong>.VerDate Nov 24 2008 13:46 Nov 10, <strong>2011</strong> Jkt 067464 PO 00000 Frm 00219 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6601 G:\GSDD\USCC\<strong>2011</strong>\067464.XXX 067464

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