Trump reduces foreign funding while China forges space partnerships in Africa

A state-of-the-art space laboratory on the outskirts of Cairo intended to be the first in Africa to manufacture its own satellites. However, as you inside the factory, the “made in Africa” vibe starts to wane.
Beijing ships satellite components and equipment in containers. Egyptian engineers get instructions from Chinese experts who check space-tracking sensors. One wall has a Chinese flag hanging from it. Built mostly in China and launched from a spaceport there in December 2023, the factory’s first satellite was heralded as the first ever produced by an African country.

The most recent development in China’s covert international space program is the Egyptian satellite lab. According to Reuters, Beijing is forming space alliances in Africa to expand its global surveillance network and further its ambition to become the world’s leading space power.

A large portion of China’s space aid to African states, including its contributions of satellites, ground stations, and space surveillance observatories, has been made public. It hasn’t publicly acknowledged—and Reuters is the first to report on this—that Beijing has access to the information and photos gathered by this satellite technology, and that Chinese workers are permanently stationed in facilities it constructs in Africa.

Over the past two years, China has given Egypt a variety of space technologies, including the satellite facility, which started operations in 2023. A new space monitoring center with two of the most potent telescopes in the world, as well as two Earth observation satellites launched in 2023—one built entirely in China and the other constructed in Egypt—are among the transfers that have been made public. According to two persons with knowledge of the situation, China also launched a third Chinese-made satellite for Egypt that year, one that could conduct military-grade monitoring.

The satellite station is the focal point of Space City, a complex being created by the government of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi around 30 kilometers east of Cairo close to a new administrative capital.

Through the signing of energy and infrastructure projects under President Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road Initiative, Sisi has recently promoted stronger relations with China.

A request for response was not answered by the Egyptian president.

Other African nations are also being enticed into China’s circle, including Egypt, a significant receiver of U.S. military assistance. According to the U.S. Institute of Peace, a think tank, Beijing has 23 bilateral space agreements in Africa, including financing for satellites and ground stations to gather satellite data and pictures. The United States’ own lunar aspirations are being challenged by a recent agreement among Egypt, South Africa, and Senegal to work with China on a future moon station.

This is only the start. Xi stated that $50 billion in Chinese financing and investment designated for Africa over the next three years will prioritize satellites, as well as lunar and deep-space research, at a September meeting with dozens of African leaders in Beijing. China wants no nation to fall behind as businesses and military rely more and more on space technology, which is why Xi’s administration officially claims it is supporting African space projects.

China is receiving a much higher return on its investment in private. According to six individuals with firsthand knowledge of China’s space initiatives in Africa, this involves a permanent presence in facilities it constructs as well as access to surveillance data gathered by satellites and telescopes.

The United States is retreating while China uses technology incentives to strengthen its ties in Africa. The CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, billionaire Elon Musk, is leading the U.S. the efforts of President Donald Trump to reduce the size of the federal government. The United States has been one of his initial objectives. Since its founding by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, the assistance organization known as the Agency for International Development has helped to expand American soft power globally.

According to the Pentagon, China’s space initiatives in Africa and other developing nations pose a security danger as Beijing may steal confidential information, improve its military might, and exert pressure on governments if they are forced to utilize China’s communications network.

Reuters was unable to independently confirm the Pentagon’s and Eftimiades’ accusations that China had utilized space technology supplied to Africa for military or espionage objectives, and they did not offer specific proof of this.

Questions concerning whether China is employing technology in Africa for monitoring were not explicitly answered by Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington. Because of America’s own spying history, he claimed, the United States “is not in a position to smear or defame China.”

According to Liu, “the United States is the largest surveillance state in the world.”

Common civilian applications for the space infrastructure and technology China is deploying in Africa include data transmission, climate change monitoring, and spacecraft flight assistance. However, there are military uses for them as well.

For space situational awareness, powerful telescopes are employed. According to a 2022 study, they might assist coordinate the employment of anti-satellite weapons (ASAT) and forecast when U.S. military satellites fly overhead, opening a new tab by the U.S. Agency for Defense Intelligence. 

Destroying an adversary’s satellites might interfere with missile guidance systems and complicate communications between ground, air, and naval forces during a confrontation, such as if China attacked democratically governed Taiwan. According to the DIA assessment, China and Russia have tested ASATs in the past and are working on more sophisticated models.

Beijing can better coordinate military activities thanks to its extensive network of Chinese-built, foreign-owned satellites. Additionally, China could be able to see more clearly what the U.S. military is doing globally thanks to these satellites. For example, the Earth observation satellite built in Egypt may capture high-resolution photographs of regions where Egypt and the United States conduct joint military drills.

China can coordinate military operations, watch missile launches, and keep an eye on other nations’ space assets using its foreign ground stations, such as the one it has constructed in Ethiopia and the one it is building with Namibia. They also contribute to a vast worldwide network of data collecting infrastructure, which includes 5G networks and underwater internet cables.

Allies of the United States have withdrawn from their collaborations with China in terrestrial space. Citing the “geopolitical situation,” Sweden refused to extend a deal with China in 2020 that had permitted Beijing to utilize satellite ground stations in Sweden and Australia.

Regarding the arrangement, Sweden’s state-owned space corporation declined to speak further. A request for response from Australia’s military department was not answered.

More than 30 individuals with knowledge of Chinese initiatives in Africa, including consultants, space engineers, diplomats, and military and intelligence officials, were questioned by Reuters in order to better comprehend China’s space drive in the region. Additionally, Reuters examined more than 100 patents and publications from the Chinese military and government agencies in charge of Beijing’s space program.

CHINA’S SPACE WEBSITE

Stephen Whiting, commander of the Pentagon’s U.S. Space Command, told Reuters that China’s quick development of its space infrastructure on Earth is part of a larger trend in which Beijing is overtaking the United States in a variety of areas, including satellites, uncrewed moon landings, and anti-satellite weapons.

In an attempt to compete with Musk’s Starlink, China has increased the deployment of communications satellites in low-earth orbit throughout the past two years. In addition to owning Starlink, a commercial internet service provider, the mogul’s rocket launch business SpaceX is constructing a network of hundreds of surveillance satellites for the National Reconnaissance Office, a U.S. intelligence organization in charge of spy satellite management.

The Pentagon is “paying attention” to Beijing’s collaborations with emerging nations, Whiting added, adding, “We see breathtaking advancements by China in space.”

By 2045, the state-owned military and space contractor China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation (CASC) hopes to become the leading space power in the world. Plans call for the development of nuclear-powered space shuttles, the construction of a lunar base, and the transportation of humans to the moon by 2030.

Supported by SpaceX and several other commercial space enterprises, the United States continues to have the largest space program in the world.

Additionally, China’s foreign space ventures haven’t always worked out. For example, according to Reuters, SpaceX was able to establish itself as the main space contractor for Indonesia in 2020 after a Chinese rocket carrying an Indonesian satellite detonated.

However, Trump is challenged by China’s space advancements. Trump established the U.S. government during his first term. Recognizing the role that space would play in future battles, the military created the Space Force.

Three space policy experts who counseled the outgoing president’s transition team said that Trump’s space team is unlikely to place as much emphasis on developing bilateral space connections as Beijing does in Africa.

They believe that, strengthened by his acquaintance with Musk, Trump is more likely to accelerate the race to the moon and perhaps Mars and increase America’s military capabilities in space. With the help of rocket launches from commercial firms like SpaceX, NASA’s Artemis program seeks to return humans to the moon by 2028. NASA also intends to construct the Lunar Gateway space station in the moon’s orbit in collaboration with the United Arab Emirates, Canada, Japan, and the European Space Agency.

A request for comment from the White House was not answered.

According to conversations with U.S. and African space officials, Washington’s space diplomacy efforts have failed to challenge China’s increasing ties in Africa, which are becoming more significant as a new global space competition gets started.

Currently, almost 90 nations have their own space programs, and many smaller countries base their national policy on frameworks established by Beijing or Washington. China is fostering important partnerships by assisting poorer nations in establishing space businesses.

The moon has become a symbol of loyalty. The Artemis Accords, a set of guidelines to impact space exploration and the usage of the moon and Mars, have been ratified by the United States and more than 50 other nations. China is proposing to construct a cooperative International Lunar Research Station in place of the U.S. rule book, which it has characterized as a colonial-style land grab. Russia and Egypt are among the twelve nations that have endorsed China’s lunar outpost.

China is a fundamentally “self-interested actor,” according to Scott Pace, the president of the National Space Council during the first Trump administration, whose alliances are intended to solidify China’s position as the “center of power” in space.

A request for response from the China National Space Administration (CNSA), the country’s principal space agency, was not answered. China has data-sharing agreements with partner nations, but “has never, and will never” use images and data to improve its military surveillance capabilities, according to Yang Xiaoyu, director of the agency’s System Engineering Department, in response to a question from a Reuters reporter during a media briefing in Beijing in October.

“African countries and their people have the wisdom and ability to choose partners that align with their own interests,” stated Liu, the spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy.

U.S. ERRORS

China’s approach to space diplomacy is similar to a tactic the United States has been using for many years. NASA, the U.S. In order to track and communicate with satellites, which are mostly located in U.S. foreign territories or ally nations, the Space Force and U.S. commercial corporations maintain networks of ground stations across the world. These websites are used for covert military activities in space as well as for data downloads and space surveillance.

Whiting of Space Command stated that the U.S. plans are not on par with those of China.

Regarding American military ground stations, Whiting stated, “We openly discuss where they are and what they do.” “We don’t see that same level of openness with China, and that does raise questions about what’s going on.”

Whiting stated that the U.S. In nations where China is establishing comparable capabilities, Space Command lacks any space-tracking assets.

A stark contrast to America’s absence is China’s growing space presence in Africa. In order to connect with spacecraft in the U.S. moon mission, NASA started building its first ground station on the continent last year in South Africa. According to NASA international agreements seen by Reuters, its collaborations primarily consist of a network of 36 shoebox-sized atmospheric sensors in 14 African nations. Three African nations—Nigeria, Rwanda, and Angola—have also joined the Artemis Accords.

Temidayo Oniosun, managing director of Space in Africa, a consultancy based in Nigeria, stated that some African nations have become tired of Washington’s security threats about China and are more concerned with which nation would supply funding and space technology.

Oniosun claimed that the United States had decades to assist Africa in developing their space projects, but they never did. “These nations are coming to the realization that the United States isn’t exactly looking out for their best interests.”

According to Pace, Trump’s former top space official, the United States ought to have done more to forge connections in Africa and other places. According to him, a significant portion of the issue stems from the fact that American development agencies, the State Department, and NASA frequently don’t coordinate their operations as closely as Chinese government entities.

Requests for response from NASA and the State Department were not answered.

Interviews with five individuals engaged in the programs revealed that China’s more organized approach was evident in the way it integrated itself with Egypt’s space program from the beginning.

CITY OF SPACE

The Chinese space agency CNSA stated in 2017 that it will construct a satellite station near Cairo in collaboration with Egypt’s National Authority for Remote Sensing and Space Sciences. The Chinese agreement came at the same time that Cairo established the Egyptian Space Agency (EgSA) in January 2018 and unveiled plans to build a Space City outside of Cairo.

Two persons with intimate knowledge of the partnership told Reuters that Egyptian engineers and technicians trained at military and space facilities in China between November 2017 and January 2018.

Liao Liqiang, the Chinese ambassador to Egypt, was there as construction began on the satellite factory. According to the two, Liao, a former diplomat and strong supporter of further Chinese-led space initiatives in the Middle East and Africa, would later be in charge of the lab’s growth.

The Chinese space company CASC sent dozens of engineers and construction workers to the Space City location. Some people have stayed.

According to two sources, China’s space agency considered the project a priority, and CASC President Zhang Zhongyang was informed of its development. A Reuters analysis of patents claims that CASC creates space technology to bolster China’s military capabilities. This includes coordinating missile attacks using satellites.

Zhang is a key player in China’s military and space capabilities. According to remarks on China’s State Council’s official website, he has been instrumental in the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) attempts to increase its space capabilities because of his experience designing missiles. Zhang’s participation in the military’s Science and Technology Committee, which is an essential component of the PLA’s endeavors to improve its technology and preserve battle preparedness, highlights his role. 

His membership in the Central Committee, one of Xi’s highest decision-making organizations, demonstrates his strong standing inside the Communist Party hierarchy.

According to official images, Zhang inspected the satellite station in Egypt in July of last year.

Responses to requests for comment from CASC, Zhang, and Liao were not received.

Egypt depends on China for practically every part of the project, thus its satellite facility does not amount to a full-fledged space program. The cooperation has so far produced three satellites, two of which were constructed entirely in China and the third of which was put together in Egypt using Chinese parts. China launched all three of them.

In February 2023, the first, called Horus 1 opens new tab, was launched into orbit. According to EgSA at the time, Egypt may use the Earth observation satellite to track agricultural productivity, forecast natural disasters, and identify illegal activities like the growing of drugs.

Without revealing the client, CASC said that the second, Horus 2, was launched weeks later from the same spaceport in China. According to two people with knowledge of the spacecraft, Horus 2 is a military-grade surveillance satellite that was constructed for Egypt. Questions concerning the goal of Horus 2 were not answered by EgSA.

MisrSat-2, Egypt’s third satellite, launched in December 2023. It was the first to leave the facility in Cairo.

According to two persons with direct knowledge who spoke to Reuters, CASC built the majority of MisrSat-2 in China. Parts were sent to Cairo, where CASC and Egyptian engineers assembled and tested them before being sent back to China for launch. According to the sources, CASC continues to keep an eye on the information and pictures the $72 million satellite gathers, even though it is officially Egypt’s.

The assembly plant and MisrSat-2 were “donations” from China, and nothing was asked in return, EgSA CEO Sherif Sedky told Reuters. Cairo owns and controls the data from Egypt’s satellites, according to Sedky.

Questions concerning whether China has access to the satellite data as well were not answered by EgSA.

According to EgSA, MisrSat-2 will assist Egypt in combating climate change, increasing agricultural productivity, and enhancing urban planning.

Egypt is not taking sides in the space competition by working with China, according to Sedky. According to the State Department’s website, since the late 1970s, the United States has provided Cairo with more than $80 billion in economic and military support.

In an interview in his office in Egypt’s Space City, a gated facility that also houses a new African Space Agency established by the African Union, Sedky stated, “We are neutral, we deal with everybody.” “We accept an offer if it is made.”

Chinese engineers were seen rushing in and out of the Space City facility by a Reuters reporter. When asked why they were there, Sedky explained that they were there to teach Egyptian employees and install equipment. He predicted that these Chinese laborers would ultimately go.

There could soon be a new tenant with ties to China at Egypt’s satellite factory. The private space technology company USPACE Technology Group, which is listed in Hong Kong, said in August that it has formed a strategic alliance with EgSA to develop satellite technology at Space City in Egypt.

Requests for comment from USPACE were not answered.

TELESCOPES AS WELL

Additionally, China and Egypt are working together on a project that will use advanced telescopes to monitor satellites in space. As the number of satellites in orbit increases and missiles to disable them are developed, military strategists think that capability is essential.

Recently, a high research station outside Cairo had two optical telescopes installed on its roof. Chinese National Astronomical Observatories employees provided assistance.

The partnership with China is for scientific study, according to Makram Ibrahim, a professor of space physics at Egypt’s National study Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics.

Ibrahim told Reuters, “There might be political motivations, and you can analyze how they benefit politically on your own.” “Secondly, they gain scientifically because we both use the data I get here.”

The spokesperson for the Chinese embassy, Liu, refrained from discussing China’s precise reasons for funding Egypt’s space program. “The international community has a shared responsibility to support Africa’s development,” he stated.

Beijing also provides space assistance to Ethiopia. China has supported the establishment of a ground station in the East African nation and deployed two Earth observation satellites there since 2019. 

According to Ethiopia’s senior space official, Abdissa Yilma, general director of the Ethiopian Space Science and Geospatial Institute, China also provides funding for data collecting to assist Ethiopia in monitoring droughts and floods.

His country is impartial and will not become involved in the U.S.-China competition, he added. However, he claimed that, similar to how East-West competition fueled technical advancement during the Cold War, the competition may do the same.

Yilma remarked, “It appears that the race has resumed.”