SPACE TREK China on track with its extraterrestrial mission

 
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SPACE TREK China on track with its extraterrestrial mission
OPINION: GIST OF PEOPLE’S DEMOCRACY P.24 | FEATURES: GREATER IPR PROTECTION P.36

VOL.64 NO.19 MAY 13, 2021                                                   WWW.BJREVIEW.COM

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SPACE TREK China on track with its extraterrestrial mission
SPACE TREK China on track with its extraterrestrial mission
CONTENTS
EDITOR’S DESK                                             OPINION                          FEATURES
02 A New Height of                                        24 How People’s Democracy        32 Progress on a New Front
Cooperation                                               Works in China                   SCO expo boosts regional trade and beyond
                                                          It outperforms the Western       36 On the Fringes of Public Property
                                                          model in many ways               IPR protection strengthens
THIS WEEK
                                                          26 China’s Cooperation           40 Life-Saving Drugs
COVER STORY                                               Initiative Beneficial to All     Drive to ensure supply of scarce medicines
12 Another Giant Leap                                     Belarus’ ambassador shares
                                                                                           42 An Injection of Hope
China’s space station vision                              his thoughts
                                                                                           China develops vaccines for hand, foot and
closer to reality                                         27 Australia Misses the          mouth disease
18 Sharing the Pie                                        Wood for the Trees
In the Sky                                                Domestic political competition
Industry players call for fixing                          scuttles Belt and Road MOUs      CULTURE
problems together                                         28 Challenge the Challenger      46 A Transboundary Trial
20 Sky Rocketing                                          New bill creates more hurdles    Kunqu Opera meets the ballet
Private sector finds                                      in China-U.S. ties
opportunity in launch vehicles                                                             EXPAT’S EYE
                                                                                           48 Vaseline on the Lens
                                                                                           An American bride becomes an album star
Cover Photo: The Long March-5B Y2 rocket,
carrying the core module of China’s space
station, blasts off from the Wenchang
Spacecraft Launch Site in Hainan Province
on April 29 (XINHUA)

      ©2021 Beijing Review, all rights reserved.

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SPACE TREK China on track with its extraterrestrial mission
EDITOR’S DESK
                                                                             A New Height of Cooperation
                                                                     Sixty years ago, Soviet astronaut Yuri            In the past 65 years, China has made
                                                                     Gagarin journeyed into outer space, ush-      substantial progress in rockets, satellites,
A News Weekly Magazine
                                                                     ering Earth into the era of space flights.    manned spaceflights and extraterrestrial
Published Since 1958
                                                                         Five years prior to that, Qian Xuesen,    planetary probes. It has become a lead-
President: Li Yafang                                                 father of China’s space technology,           ing country in a number of important
                                                                     set up China’s first rocket and missile       technologies via self-reliance and inde-
Associate Editor in Chief: Li Jianguo
Associate President: Yan Ying
                                                                     research institute, marking the start of      pendent innovation.
                                                                     China’s space explorations.                       China seeks to utilize outer space for
Content Director: Liu Yunyun

                                                                         From the pioneering effort, China’s       peaceful purposes, economic development,
Executive Editor: Yan Wei
Associate Executive Editors: Zan Jifang, Ding Ying
Production Director: Yao Bin                                         space odyssey reached a new tech-             national security, and science and technol-
                                                                     nology milestone on April 29, when            ogy development. Its ultimate aim is to
Editorial Administrators: Zeng Wenhui, Hou Beibei
Assistant Executive Editor: Li Fangfang
Commentator: Lan Xinzhen                                             construction of the Chinese space sta-        raise domestic scientific ability, protect
Editors: Wang Hairong, Li Nan
Editorial Consultants: Sudeshna Sarkar, Madhusudan Chaubey,          tion Tiangong started with the launch         national interests and rights, and promote
Elsbeth van Paridon
Reporters: Tang Yuankai, Wang Jun, Pan Xiaoqiao, Yuan Yuan,
                                                                     of its core module, Tianhe, which will        human civilization and social progress.
Ji Jing, Lu Yan, Wen Qing, Li Qing, Li Xiaoyang, Ma Miaomiao,        function as the management and control            All countries have equal right to
Zhang Shasha, Tao Xing, Tao Zihui
Visual Director: Pamela Tobey
                                                                     center of the space station.                  peacefully explore, develop and utilize
Photo Editor: Wang Xiang                                                 Building a space station and space        outer space and celestial bodies. China
                                                                     laboratory is the final stage in the three-   maintains that international exchanges
Photographer: Wei Yao
Art: Li Shigong
Design Director: Wang Yajuan                                         step strategic plan for manned space          and cooperation should be strengthened
                                                                     projects. The first step was sending          on the basis of equality and mutual ben-
Chief Designer: Cui Xiaodong
Designer: Zhao Boyu
Proofreading: Ma Xin
                                                                     astronauts into space, following in           efit, peaceful utilization and inclusive
Human Resources: Zhang Yajie
Legal Counsel: Yue Cheng
                                                                     Gagarin’s footsteps, and the second was       development.
North America Bureau
                                                                     accomplishing extra-vehicular activity,           China’s space technologies and
Chief: Yu Shujun                                                     and docking and rendezvous in space.          activities are independent but not ex-
Tel/Fax: 1-201-792-0334
E-mail: yushujun@bjreview.com
                                                                         Now, as part of the third stage, the      clusive. During the past decades, it has
Africa Bureau                                                        Chinese space station is expected to be       been participating in space activities
                                                                     ready for service in 2022. That is the        sponsored by international organiza-
Chief Correspondent: Ni Yanshuo
Tel: 27-71-6132053
E-mail: casa201208@hotmail.com                                       year the International Space Station, run     tions including the United Nations, and
General Editorial Office                                             by the space agencies of Europe, the U.S.,    supported international commercial
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Advertising Department                                               Tiangong may become the only space            who will work in the Chinese space sta-
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                                                                     station working as a space laboratory for     tion, taking global cooperation to a new
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2   BEIJING REVIEW MAY 13, 2021                                                                                                                         http://www.bjreview.com
SPACE TREK China on track with its extraterrestrial mission
THIS WEEK

                                                                                                                                        XINHUA
                     BOOMING TOURISM
          Young travelers pose for photos at the site of the First National Congress of the Communist Party of China, which
          was held in late July 1921 in Shanghai, on May 4.
             The country witnessed a total of 230 million domestic tourist trips during the May Day holiday from May 1 to
          May 5, up 119.7 percent from last year. Tourism revenue reached 113.23 billion yuan (about $17.5 billion), up 138.1
          percent from last year, according to the Ministry of Culture and Tourism on May 5.

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SPACE TREK China on track with its extraterrestrial mission
THIS WEEK SOCIETY

                                                                                                             XINHUA
                                                                                                                      and reform commission said.

                                                                                                                      Fishing Ban
                                                                                                                      An annual summer fishing ban
                                                                                                                      began on May 1 in China’s major
                                                                                                                      seas in the north, east and south
                                                                                                                      to preserve marine fishery.
                                                                                                                          The fishing ban covers the
                                                                                                                      Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, East
                                                                                                                      China Sea, and the waters north
                                                                                                                      of 12 degrees north latitude in
                                                                                                                      the South China Sea.
                                                                                                                          The moratorium in the South
                                                                                                                      China Sea lasts until August 16.
                                                                                                                      During the ban, safety inspec-
                                                                                                                      tions on fishing gear and a clean-
                                                                                                                      up of illegal fishing vessels will
                                                                                                                      be implemented across Hainan
                                                                                                                      Province. China first imposed its
                                                                                                                      annual fishing ban in the South
                                                                                                                      China Sea back in 1999.
                                                                                                                          More than 50,000 fish-
                                                                                                                      ing boats in Guangxi Zhuang
                                                                                                                      Autonomous Region and the
                                                                                                                      provinces of Guangdong and

Bicycle Fair                                                                                                          Hainan suspend operations dur-
                                                                                                                      ing the fishing suspension.
Visitors view bicycles during the 30th China International Bicycle Fair in Shanghai on May 5. The four-day                On April 30, a joint special
event kicked off that day, drawing over 1,000 enterprises to participate.                                             law enforcement action executed
                                                                                                                      by the Ministry of Agriculture
                                                                                                                      and Rural Affairs, the Ministry
                                                                                                                      of Public Security, and the
                                                                                                                      China Coast Guard launched in
                                                                                                                      Ningbo, Zhejiang Province, to
Sea Levels                            China’s coast were 73 mm higher
                                      than in normal years, reaching
                                                                            with 1,650 tons of bauxite depart
                                                                            for Qinzhou Port in Guangxi               prevent illegal marine fishery
China’s coastal areas face in-        their third highest point since       Zhuang Autonomous Region,                 activities during the fishing ban.
creasing risks as sea levels along    1980.                                 from where the cargo would be                 The fishing ban lasts until
the coast have continued to rise          China should protect its          shipped abroad.                           September 1 for the Yellow Sea
at an accelerated pace in the past    shores based on the ecological             The port is a key station            and the Bohai Sea waters north
40 years, according to official       concept and comprehensively           listed in the development plan of         of 35 degrees north latitude.
accounts, Xinhua News Agency          improve the adaptability to rising    the New International Land-Sea                The summer ban involves
reported on May 3.                    sea levels, the report added.         Trade Corridor, a trade and logis-        more than 100,000 fishing ships
     The sea level will rise by 55                                          tics passage jointly constructed          and nearly 1 million fishermen
to 170 mm in the next 30 years,       Logistics Port                        by Singapore and provincial-              nationwide.
according to a bulletin released      An international land-sea logis-      level regions of west China.
by the Ministry of Natural            tics port has started operations           The port connects some of            Leashing Dogs
Resources.                            in Guizhou Province with an           China’s major railway lines and           Dog owners must now keep their
     From 1980 to 2020, sea levels    annual transportation capacity        the Yangtze River Economic Belt,          furry friends on a leash in out-
along the coast climbed at a rate     of approximately 5 million tons,      and is expected to strengthen             door areas as China’s revised Law
of 3.4 mm per year with fluctua-      Xinhua reported on May 3.             Guizhou’s link with economic              on Animal Epidemic Prevention
tions, the report said, adding that        The Dulaying international       hubs of west China such as                took effect on May 1.
the rise exceeded the global aver-    land-sea logistics port, located      Chengdu in Sichuan Province                   Previously, only local
age during the same period.           in the provincial capital Guiyang,    and Chongqing Municipality, the           regulations in selected provincial
     In 2020, sea levels along        recently saw its first train loaded   Guizhou provincial development            regions required dog owners
4   BEIJING REVIEW MAY 13, 2021                                                                                                    http://www.bjreview.com
SPACE TREK China on track with its extraterrestrial mission
THIS WEEK

                                                                                                                                                               XINHUA
to keep their pets on a leash in       statement on May 3.
public areas.                               Some of the rescuees had
     Chinese lawmakers adopted         been separated from their
the revision in January in a bid       families for several years. They
to prevent dogs from harming           have been sent back home with
people, as well as to reduce the       the help of local public security
transmission of infectious diseases.   bureaus, the statement added.
     Dogs should also wear a dog            In a nationwide campaign
tag, be inoculated against rabies      targeting child abduction,
and registered with local authori-     public security organs across
ties, according to the law.            the country have managed to
     Many people took to social        crack numerous child trafficking
media to voice their support for       cases with the help of an “anti-
the new provisions. “Finally, I        abduction DNA system” and an
won’t be bothered by dogs that         online platform for releasing the
run into me abruptly,” reads one       victims’ information.
comment on China’s Twitter-like             Calling for more efforts to
platform Weibo.                        investigate and detain suspects,
     “Ultimately, it’s not a bad       the ministry urged the public to
thing for dog owners and their
pets,” wrote another netizen who
                                       support anti-abduction opera-
                                       tions and help reunite missing               Animation Carnival
claimed that she always uses a         children with their families.                Cartoon characters and cosplayers parade in Jingshan Township
leash to walk her dog, adding that                                                  in Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang Province, on May 2 during an
“it will keep dogs from hurting        Monkey Conservation                          animation carnival. The event was held from May 1 to 5.
each other and prevent them from       Yunnan Province has achieved
car accidents.”                        remarkable results in the conser-
     Some dog lovers also called       vation of snub-nosed monkeys,
for the creation of pet-friendly       also called “golden hair mon-
parks in cities for dogs to play       keys,” and the population of the             monitoring and evaluation of          Conservation of Nature (IUCN)
off-leash.                             species has now increased to more            Yunnan golden hair monkeys,           Red List. The monkeys inhabit
                                       than 3,300, covering 23 varieties.           according to the provincial           the mountainous forests of the
Rescued Children                           A green book on the                      forestry and grassland bureau.        province and its neighboring
Chinese authorities have rescued       outcomes of conservation ef-                     The Yunnan golden                 Tibet Autonomous Region.
more than 700 missing or               forts involving the endangered               hair monkeys are listed as                There were around 1,000 to
abducted children, and arrested        species in the province revealed             national first-class rare and         1,500 Yunnan golden hair mon-
86 suspects since the beginning        the most recent numbers. It                  endangered protected species          keys of 13 varieties in 1996, and
of 2021, the Ministry of Public        documents the entire process of              by China and as vulnerable            3,000 of 18 varieties in 2006, the
Security announced in a                comprehensive and systematic                 on the International Union for        bureau said.
                                                                           XINHUA

                                                                                    Tea Stir-Frying
                                                                                    Competition
                                                                                    People stir and roast fresh tea leaves during a competition in Sanshi,
                                                                                    a village in Lishui, Zhejiang Province, on April 30.

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SPACE TREK China on track with its extraterrestrial mission
THIS WEEK ECONOMY
Gold Consumption                       Manufacturing PMI                         The non-manufacturing PMI
                                                                            stood at 54.9 percent in April,
                                                                                                                    renewable energy develop-
                                                                                                                    ment amid its transition to a
Gold consumption soared 93.9           Data from the National Bureau        down 1.4 percentage points from         low-carbon economy. It has an-
percent year on year to 288.2          of Statistics (NBS) on April         the March figure, according to the      nounced that it will peak carbon
tons in China in the first quarter     30 showed the purchasing             NBS.                                    dioxide emissions before 2030
(Q1) of the year, recovering to the    managers’ index (PMI) for the             But the sub-indexes for            and achieve carbon neutrality
level in the same period of 2019,      manufacturing sector came in         business activities in rail services,   before 2060.
according to data from China           at 51.1 percent in April, slightly   air transportation and accom-
Gold Association (CGA) on May 1.       down from 51.9 percent in March.
                                            A reading above 50 percent
                                                                            modation exceeded 60 percent,           Inclusive Finance
     In Q1, consumption of gold                                             indicating the rapid growth of          In Q1, inclusive finance loans in-
jewelry surged 83.81 percent           indicates expansion, and below       business volumes in these areas,        creased 1.96 trillion yuan ($302.9
from a year earlier to 169.18 tons,    that mark, contraction.              according to Zhao.                      billion), 925.9 billion yuan ($143
                                            The manufacturing PMI con-                                              billion) more than during the
while that of gold coins and bars
went up 155.67 percent to 96.31
                                       tinued to expand on the basis of     Renewable Energy                        same period last year, according
                                       the apparent rebound in March,       As of the end of March, China’s         to the People’s Bank of China.
tons.
                                       weakening somewhat but still         installed capacity of renewable              By the end of the period,
     Gold used for industrial and
                                       higher than the level of the same    energy totaled more than                outstanding inclusive finance
other purposes amounted to             period of 2019 and 2020, ac-
22.71 tons, up 20.03 percent year                                           948 million kw, data from the           loans stood at 23.46 trillion yuan
                                       cording to NBS senior statistician   National Energy Administration          ($3.6 trillion), up 28 percent year
on year.                               Zhao Qinghe.                         showed. Wind, solar, hydro and          on year.
     The CGA attributed the                 The sub-index for production    biomass power accounted for                  Inclusive finance lending
strong gold demand to a                stood at 52.2 percent, down 1.7      287 million kw, 259 million kw,         refers to loans to micro, small
stable recovery of the domestic        percentage points from March,        371 million kw and 31.49 million        and self-employed businesses,
economy and lower gold prices.         while that for new orders shrank     kw, respectively.                       farmers, students and people
     China produced 74.44 tons         1.6 percentage points to 52 per-         In Q1, 475.47 billion kWh of        living in poverty.
of gold in Q1, down 9.92 percent       cent. The sub-index for inventory    electricity were generated from              The government has rolled
compared with the same period          of raw materials was 48.3 percent,   these sources.                          out various measures to offer
last year.                             down 0.1 percentage point.               China is forging ahead in           much-needed credit to firms

NUMBERS
($1=6.5 yuan)
          Industrial Enterprises’ Profit by Business Type                          Industrial Enterprises’ Growth by Business Type
                     January-March (bln yuan)                                                  January-March (% y.o.y.)
1,500                                                                        250
                          1,279.27
1,250                                                                                   199
                                                                             200

1,000                                                                                                                      161
                                                                             150                          129
    750
            616.54
                                           512.81           516.33           100                                                            91.9
    500

    250                                                                       50

     0                                                                         0
          State-holding   Shareholding  Foreign-, Hong      Privately              State-holding      Shareholding      Foreign-,          Privately
           enterprises    corporations Kong-, Macao- and     owned                  enterprises       corporations Hong Kong-, Macao-       owned
                                        Taiwan-funded                                                              and Taiwan-funded

6   BEIJING REVIEW MAY 13, 2021                                                                                                   http://www.bjreview.com
SPACE TREK China on track with its extraterrestrial mission
THIS WEEK
and individuals affected by
COVID-19, including targeted
                                         SME Recovery                            expectations continued to
                                                                                 improve, and cash strains were
                                                                                                                            Conservancy Funds
reserve requirement ratio cuts for       The vitality of small and               eased, the association said, cit-          The Ministry of Finance has
small banks.                             medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)         ing stimulus measures such as              allocated 57.4 billion yuan
                                         improved in Q1 as the economy           targeted monetary policies from            ($8.88 billion) to subsidize
IPR Protection                           further recovered from the im-
                                         pact of COVID-19, according to
                                                                                 the central bank that lowered              local water conservancy
                                                                                                                            projects so far this year, up 3.1
Two new intellectual property                                                    financing pressure.
                                         China Association of Small and                                                     percent from the same period
right (IPR) protection centers will
be established in the cities of Zibo
                                         Medium Enterprises.
                                             The Small and Medium
                                                                                 Wealth Management                          of 2020.
                                                                                                                                  To reduce damage caused
and Dezhou, Shandong Province,                                                   The banking wealth manage-
                                         Enterprises Development Index,                                                     by floods and droughts, 45
the National Intellectual Property                                               ment market expanded and saw
                                         based on a survey of 3,000 com-                                                    percent of the funds, or 25.9
Administration (NIPA) said on                                                    more new investors in Q1, ac-
April 30.                                panies, hit 87.5, the highest level     cording to China Banking Wealth            billion yuan ($4 billion), will
     They will provide more ef-          since the same period last year.        Management Registration and                be used to reinforce small
ficient services for enterprises in          The index contains multiple         Depository Center.                         dilapidated reservoirs, harness
the industries of new materials          sub-indexes to gauge the per-                The banking system had                small and medium-sized rivers,
and biomedicine, according to            formances and expectations              25.03 trillion yuan ($3.87 trillion) of    and enhance the prevention of
the administration.                      of SMEs. A reading above 100            outstanding wealth management              mountain torrents.
     By setting up IPR protection        reflects an upward trend in             products at the end of March, up                 Better efforts will be made
centers in cooperation with local        business, and below that mark, a        7.02 percent year on year.                 to control the overextraction of
governments since 2016, the              downward trend.                              In the January-March period,          groundwater in north China.
NIPA aims to solve difficulties              The macroeconomic, financ-          investors in these products rose                 The funds are expected to
in the collection of evidence, as        ing, cost and labor force sub-          to 49.8 million, up 19.63 percent          raise water use efficiency and
well as reduce the duration and          indexes were all above 100 in the       from the beginning of the year.            upgrade water-conservation fa-
cost of investigations.                  January-March period.                        The outstanding funds chan-           cilities in medium-sized irrigation
     China has 43 IPR protection             During the period, business         neled to the real economy stood            areas, while soil erosion and rural
centers nationwide, including those      confidence among SMEs                   at 22.21 trillion yuan ($3.4 trillion)     drinking water safety will also be
currently under construction.            was further restored, market            at the end of 2020.                        addressed.

 Industrial Enterprises’ Profit by Sector                                             Profit Changes for Major Sectors
       January-March (bln yuan)                                                           January-March (% y.o.y.)

                                                                                               Automobile                                                       843
                          151.95
                           Mining
                                                                 Nonferrous metal smelting and processing                           471
                                                                    Ferrous metal smelting and processing                        388
                                                          Chemical raw material and product manufacturing                       343
                                                                        General equipment manufacturing               119
                                                                                  Coal mining and washing            94.3
                                                                 Non-metal mineral product manufacturing            69.1
                          1,536.63                                   Electricity, heat production and supply        50.7
                     Manufacturing
                                                                                                     Textile        40.4
                                                           Agricultural byproduct and byproduct processing         28.9
                           136.8
                                                                     Petroleum and natural gas exploration         18.4
              Electricity, thermal, fuel gas
            and water production and supply                                                                    0    100 200 300 400 500 600 700 800 900
                                                                                                                               (Source: National Bureau of Statistics)

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SPACE TREK China on track with its extraterrestrial mission
THIS WEEK WORLD
XINHUA

                                                                                  XINHUA
                    

                                                         

                     INDIA                             MEXICO
People wait to refill empty medical oxygen    The site of a partially collapsed
cylinders for COVID-19 patients in front of   metro overpass in Mexico City
a shop in New Delhi on May 5. India’s total    on May 4. At least 25 people
  number of confirmed COVID-19 cases            were killed and 80 others
      reached 20.7 million on May 6,             injured in the accident
           with 226,188 deaths
                                                                                                                  

                                                                                                                RUSSIA
                                                                                           Unmanned aerial vehicles spell out St. Petersburg in the
                                                                                              sky during the First International Drone Festival
                                                                                                        in St. Petersburg on May 2
XINHUA

8        BEIJING REVIEW MAY 13, 2021                                                                                                http://www.bjreview.com
THIS WEEK

                                             
                                         AUSTRALIA
                           A band performs at the Canberra International
                          Music Festival on April 30. The 10-day event ended
                                               on May 9

                                                                               XINHUA
                                                                                        XINHUA

                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                     TURKEY
                                                                                                          A picture taken in Istanbul on May 3
                                                                                                          shows the result of a full lockdown
                                                                                                             that began on April 29 and is set
                                                                                                            to last until May 17. The measure
                                                                                                           is hoped to help reduce COVID-19
                                                                                                          cases ahead of the tourism season

                                                                                                                       

                                                                                                                    BRITAIN
                                                                                                          Participants pose for a group photo
                                                                                                           during the first in-person meeting
                                                                                                            of the foreign and development
                                                                                                          ministers of the Group of Seven in
                                                                                                             two years in London on May 4
                                                                                                 XINHUA

http://www.bjreview.com                                                                                      MAY 13, 2021 BEIJING REVIEW    9
THIS WEEK PEOPLE & POINTS
 ALL EYES ON MEITUAN DIANPING
 China’s State Administration for Market Regulation on April 26 launched an investiga-
 tion into the shopping platform and food delivery giant Meituan Dianping for alleged
 monopoly conduct including the implementation of an “exclusive dealing agreement.”
      Meituan was also found to have coerced merchants into ending their transactions with
 its competitors.
      Wang Xing, 42, born in Fujian Province, is the founder and CEO of Meituan. He
 graduated from Tsinghua University with a bachelor’s degree in elec-
 tronic engineering in 2001, and went on to receive his master’s
 degree in computer engineering from the University of Delaware in
 2005.
      In 2010, he founded the group-buying site Meituan. It was huge-
 ly successful and merged with Dianping in 2015 to become Meituan
 Dianping, which went public on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange
 in 2018. As of January 2021, Forbes estimated Wang’s net worth at
 $28.8 billion.
                                                   for choosing staggered shared parking.
Shared Parking                                     About 25 to 30 percent of Beijing park-
Economic Daily                                     ing lots are left empty; by sharing parking
                                                   space, the crush on parking lots will be
April 26
Searching for parking space has long been
                                                   alleviated and their actual usage rate will      Mission of Universities
                                                   go up.
a headache for those residing in China’s               Smart technologies, too, can come in         Outlook Weekly
metropolises, especially for those working in      handy when solving China’s parking prob-         April 26
the central business districts of the first- and   lems. With shared parking services such as       China’s esteemed Tsinghua University
second-tier cities. Data show that as of late      smart apps in place, users can rent surplus      celebrated its 110th anniversary on April
2020, there was a shortage of some 80 mil-         parking spots for a time span as short as        25. Over the past 110 years since its in-
lion parking spaces across the country.            one hour or as long as a few months.             ception, Tsinghua has cultivated pioneers
    Most recently, Haidian District in                 Expectations are that all regions will       in the fields of science, engineering,
Beijing launched a shared parking initia-          come up with more measures to improve            business, culture and politics.
tive accompanied by a kind of “parking             governance efficiency, to form a shared              Tsinghua’s reform, human resources
subsidy.” Residents can get a subsidy of           parking development model that benefits          development, education innovation
150 yuan ($23.14) per month, provided              citizens and activates parking space re-
by parking management companies,                   sources.

     “A new stipulation has been added to                                                 “We will take all necessary
     guarantee seed safety, which includes                                       countermeasures against such moves.
     strengthening the protection and use                                         This warning should be heeded before
     of germ plasm resources and building                                          it is too late. This will only aggravate
                 seed banks.”                                                    the tension across the Taiwan Strait...”
      Li Fei, a senior legislator with the Constitution and Law                  Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office
     Committee of the National People’s Congress, explaining                      of the State Council, commenting on Taiwan’s Democratic
     a draft law on promoting rural vitalization, in an interview                Progressive Party authority amending the island’s so-called
                     with China Daily, on April 29.                                               “constitution,” on April 29

10   BEIJING REVIEW MAY 13, 2021                                                                                         http://www.bjreview.com
THIS WEEK
                                                                                                      violations by both streamers and platforms.
                                                   Live-Streaming Marketing                           A trial guideline was rolled out on April 24 to
as well as scientific research have an                                                                regulate the booming live-streaming market-
                                                   People.com.cn
important part in serving national devel-                                                             ing industry, according to the Cyberspace
opment. In 2020, it led 30 of China’s key
                                                   April 24                                           Administration of China (CAC).
scientific research projects, ranking first        Official data showed that as the world’s               The guideline, jointly issued by the CAC
among universities nationwide for five             largest online retail market for eight years       and six other authorities, aims to protect the
consecutive years. Over the past three             running, China saw more than 24 million            rights and interests of consumers and minors
years, Tsinghua set up 25 rural vitaliza-          live-streaming marketing activities in 2020,       and avoid risks such as false advertising and
tion work stations in 15 provinces and             as a legion of leading influencers became          the sales of counterfeit or substandard goods.
municipalities, which convened more                household names through their online sales.            The authorities should devise more
than 1,500 teachers and students nation-                Nevertheless, its growth has been             measures to manage the oversight of live-
wide introducing science and technology            marked by complaints that some sellers             streaming platforms, so as to enhance
to assist rural development programs.              were infringing upon consumer rights and           information security and protect personal
    Over the past 20 years, more than 360          interests to boost their popularity and profits.   information. Live-streaming platforms
Tsinghua alumni volunteered to teach in                 China has recently issued a series of regu-   should also handle consumer complaints
China’s less-developed regions such as             lations to better monitor the live-streaming       in a timely manner and provide evidence
Tibet Autonomous Region, and Qinghai               e-commerce market and crack down on                when disputes occur.
and Gansu provinces, helping tens of                 PASSING OF A PEKING OPERA MAESTRO
thousands of rural students.
    The university has cooperated with              Famous Peking Opera artist Du Jinfang, the representative inheritor of the national intangible
293 universities from more than 50                  cultural heritage, passed away in Beijing at the age of 89 on April 17.
countries and furthermore has signed                    Du, born in Beijing, a pupil of Mei Lanfang, one of the greatest Peking opera artists
almost 20 strategic sci-tech cooperation            in modern Chinese theater, starred in many classical works and created scientific vocal
agreements.                                         methods for female protagonists in the art.
    Top Chinese universities will take                  Du started singing on stage at the age of 10, then became a devoted student of Mei in
on a bigger role in the country’s devel-            1949. Since the 1950s, she had starred in traditional Peking Opera
opment as the world’s second largest                chapters, new compilations or adapted plays and modern dramas
economy vows to become an innovation                such as Red Detachment of Women, fully demonstrating her pro-
powerhouse. Tsinghua, one of the most               found traditional opera skills and ability to create and perform new
prestigious universities in China, is un-           plays. Crossing a time span of six decades, she created dozens of
doubtedly an important player along the             new plays.
journey.                                                After bidding adieu to the stage in her later years, Du still taught
                                                    apprentices until well into her late 80s.

   “China’s recovery from the pandemic                                           “Labeling the relationship between
      gives hope to the world. Hainan’s                                       today’s leading economies ‘Cold War 2.0’
  International Consumer Products Expo                                        misses the mark. Such a notion clashes
   is a practical step to bring such hope                                       with the Chinese outlook, society and
             to other countries.”                                             even the very nature of its government.”
      Xiong Yu, a professor at the Britain-based Surrey                        Alessandro Golombiewski Teixeira, a professor at the
   Business School in the University of Surrey, in an interview               School of Public Policy and Management, Tsinghua University,
              with Xinhua News Agency on May 5                                 commenting on China-U.S. relations in an article posted by
                                                                                                       CGTN on May 4

  http://www.bjreview.com                                                                                            MAY 13, 2021 BEIJING REVIEW   11
COVER STORY

                           ANOTHER
                          GIANT LEAP
              A new chapter in extraterrestrial exploration opens with the launch of
                     the ‘control room’ of China’s space station By Li Qing

12   BEIJING REVIEW MAY 13, 2021                                              http://www.bjreview.com
A
                                                             t 11:23 a.m. on April 29,            The second stage was to test key tech-
                                                             a rocket blasted off from       nologies needed for a permanent space
                                                             the Wenchang Spacecraft         station, including extra-vehicular activities
                                                             Launch Site in Hainan           and orbital docking. In 2008, fighter pilot
                                                             Province, carrying the core     Zhai Zhigang ventured out of the Earth-
                                           section of China’s space station.                 orbiting Shenzhou-7 spacecraft and walked
                                               After traveling a little over eight minutes   in space, becoming China’s first taikonaut to
                                           on the domestically developed Long March-         leave a “footprint in the universe.”
                                           5B Y2 rocket, the module, named Tianhe,                To amass more experience for develop-
                                           which means harmony of the heavens, sepa-         ing a space station, an experimental space
                                           rated from the rocket and entered into orbit.     lab, Tiangong-1, was lifted up in 2011 to
                                           A key step in the construction of the space       test the technologies for rendezvous and
                                           station that is expected to be completed next     docking between spacecraft. A month later,
                                           year, Tianhe will act as the management and       Shenzhou-8 entered into orbit and accom-
                                           control hub of the station as well as a node      plished the first automatic rendezvous and
                                           for docking with other spacecraft, up to          docking with Tiangong-1.
                                           three at a time, including both manned and             In 2016, an improved version,
                                           cargo spacecraft.                                 Tiangong-2 was launched. It docked with
                                               The successful launch marks China’s           Tianzhou-1, China’s first cargo spacecraft,
                                           space station construction entering the full      in April 2017, which also carried out the
                                           implementation stage, laying a solid foun-        first in-orbit refueling.
                                           dation for follow-up tasks, President Xi               So far, China has launched 11 manned
                                           Jinping said in a congratulatory message.         spacecraft, one cargo spacecraft, and
                                               The space station, Tiangong or heav-          Tiangong-1 and Tiangong-2 into space, as
                                           enly palace, will be a crewed space station       well as sent 11 astronauts, and completed the
                                           independently built with homegrown tech-          first two steps of its manned space program.
                                           nologies. Besides Tianhe, it will have two             “Progressing steadily with systematic
                                           other sections, Wentian and Mengtian.             and long-term planning—this is an example
                                           Expected to be launched next year, these are      of how we do things,” Zhou Jianping, chief
                                           the space laboratories for conducting experi-     designer of the Chinese manned space pro-
                                           ments in a wide range of areas including          gram, told Xinhua News Agency.
China launches the core module             space medicine, technology and life science.           The third step is to assemble and oper-
of its space station from the
Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site                “Building a space station and national        ate a permanently crewed space station. The
in Hainan Province on April 29             space laboratory is an important goal of the      successful flight of the new large carrier
                                           three-step strategy of China’s manned space       rocket Long March-5B in 2020 inaugurated
                                           program, and an important leading project to      the new stage in the manned space program.
                                           boost the country’s strength in science and       With work having started on assembling a
                                           technology, as well as in space,” Xi said.        space station that will be permanently crewed,
                                                                                             four more missions have to be completed
                                           Three-step plan                                   this year. The Tianzhou-2 cargo spacecraft
                                           When China’s manned space program                 and Shenzhou-12 manned craft will dock
                                           started in 1992, the first step was to send       with Tianhe. The three astronauts aboard
                                           astronauts into space and have them return        Shenzhou-12 will enter the module and
                                           safely. Shenzhou-1, the country’s first ex-       stay in orbit for three months. Then, cargo
                                           perimental manned spacecraft, was launched        spacecraft Tianzhou-3 and manned space-
                                           with no crew in 1999 and four years later,        ship Shenzhou-13 will dock with Tianhe, and
                                           Shenzhou-5 successfully sent Yang Liwei,          another three astronauts will begin their six-
                                           China’s first astronaut into space. Yang, a       month stay in orbit. So far, the longest stay in
                                           military pilot, was 38 at that time. The mile-    space by Chinese astronauts has been 33 days.
                                           stone feat made China the third country to             Tianhe will also be a platform for sci-
                                           send astronauts into space.                       entists to verify key technologies, such as
                                  XINHUA

                                                                                                                                                 s
                                                                                                                                                 s

http://www.bjreview.com                                                                                       MAY 13, 2021 BEIJING REVIEW   13
flexible solar wings that are used to     side. It is designed to serve 10 years         at the China Academy of Space Technology under
provide electricity for spacecraft. “It   in low-Earth orbit at an altitude of           the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corp.
is bound to enrich our understand-        340 km to 450 km. However, the                 (CASC), told Xinhua.
ing of the universe and promote the       lifespan can exceed 15 years with                  He said the station would be able to support
development of science, technology        maintenance.                                   maximum six astronauts together. If the Tiangong-1
and applications,” Zhou said. “Every           “We will learn how to as-                 and Tiangong-2 are like one-bedroom apartments,
mission is a test for our organiza-       semble, operate and maintain large             the space station can be regarded as a spacious apart-
tion, management, technology and          spacecraft in orbit, and we aim to             ment with three bedrooms, a living room, a dining
support ability.”                         build Tiangong into a state-level              room and a storage, more than six times the area of
                                          space lab supporting the long stay             Tiangong-2.
A home in space                           of astronauts and large-scale scien-               Crewed and cargo spaceships will be launched
When completed, the space station         tific, technological and application           regularly for long-term manned presence to carry out
will be T-shaped with Tianhe at the       experiments,” Bai Linhou, deputy               in-orbit research and services. The station will pro-
center and a lab capsule on each          chief designer of the space station            vide the visitors with a comfortable environment, and
                                                                                         zones for work, sleep, sanitation, dining, healthcare
                                                                                         and exercise with convenient facilities and advanced

                                                                                   VCG
                                                                                         technology.
         Getting to know China’s space station                                               For instance, in Tianhe, the crew will be supported
                                                                                         by a new system that recycles urine, exhaled breath
                                                                                         condensate and carbon dioxide for different uses, such
                                                                                         as flushing toilets or experiments. This will reduce the
                                           Core module
                                                                                         load of the spacecraft and cut operating costs.
                                                                                             “We will develop the technology step by step,
                                              Space laboratory II                        first recycling water and oxygen in Tiangong, and
                                                                                         then planting vegetables and crops in space to gradu-
      Cargo spaceship                                                                    ally realize food self-sufficiency,” Bai said.

                                                                                         Global cooperation
                                                                                         After 2024, the International Space Station (ISS),
         Space laboratory I                                                              currently the only space station in orbit, built and op-
                                                                                         erated by the space agencies of several countries, is
                                                                                         due to retire. If that happens, then Tiangong, about a
                                                                                         quarter of the size of the ISS, could be the only space
                                   Manned spacecraft                                     station in Earth’s orbit at that time.
                                                                                             China is not a partner in the ISS consortium, nor
                                                                                         has any Chinese astronaut visited the station. Initially
                                                                                         excluded as the fledgling Chinese space agency was
                                                                                         regarded as being too inexperienced to contribute to
                                                                                         space programs, China has still not been included
                                                                                         despite the rapid development of its domestic space
                                                                                         endeavors. However, the Chinese Government has
                                                                                         said that it would welcome international participation
                     Long March-5B Y2 rocket                                             in Tiangong.
                                                                                             “The station will contribute to the peaceful de-
                                                                                         velopment and utilization of space resources through
                                                                                         international cooperation,” Bai said.
                                                                                             A white paper published in 2017 clarifies China’s
                                                                                         position on space development, saying it is for peace-
                                                                                         ful purposes and opposed to militarization of space.
                                                                                         China welcomes UN members to use the space station
                                                                                         and has announced nine international projects with
14   BEIJING REVIEW MAY 13, 2021                                                                                              http://www.bjreview.com
back samples. It had started in 2004

                                                                                               XINHUA
                                                                                                        and last December, the return cap-
                                                                                                        sule of the Chang’e-5 lunar probe
                                                                                                        touched down in Inner Mongolia
                                                                                                        Autonomous Region, bringing back
                                                                                                        samples from Moon.
                                                                                                            In 2016, the number of space
                                                                                                        launches reached 22 in China, then to
                                                                                                        39 in 2020. In 2021, the CASC alone
                                                                                                        has over 40 space launches planned,
                                                                                                        and the total number is likely to be
                                                                                                        higher with other companies, espe-
                                                                                                        cially commercial space companies,
                                                                                                        also planning similar ventures.
                                                                                                            In the 14th Five-Year Plan
                                                                                                        (2021-25) period, priority sci-
                                                                                                        ence and technology projects in
                                                                                                        aerospace will be promoted and
A visitor at an exhibition featuring space science and achievements during the 2021 China               aerospace will be boosted as a
Space Conference in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, on April 24                                              strategic emerging industry, Zhang
                                                                                                        Kejian, head of the China National
the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA).           in 1975, China for the first time             Space Administration, said.
China also looks forward to foreign astronauts’ par-      launched three satellites on one rock-            These will include the lunar ex-
ticipation in the space station in the future because     et in 1981, another breakthrough in           ploration program’s fourth phase,
international cooperation will promote understanding      space technology. Four years later,           in which China plans to build an in-
between countries as well as lower costs.                 it announced its decision to enter            ternational lunar research station on
    So far, 17 countries have confirmed their partici-    the international commercial launch           Moon, interplanetary exploration
pation in the nine projects and in the future, China      market, making the first foray into           such as asteroid reconnaissance,
and UNOOSA will continue to explore more coop-            the international space industry in           heavy-lift carrier rockets, and reus-
eration projects.                                         1987, providing launch services for           able space transportation systems.
                                                          European aerospace manufacturer                   For instance, China’s first in-
From past to future                                       Aerospatiale Matra.                           dependent interplanetary mission,
China’s progress in space technologies and activities         However, the path of self-                Tianwen-1, is scheduled to land a
prove that innovation with self-reliance is the foun-     reliance does not mean excluding              rover on Mars soon for scientific
dation of a country’s development of cutting-edge         international cooperation and                 tests. It entered the Mars orbit on
science, Wang Yajun, a CASC executive, said at a          exchange but introducing foreign              February 10, following a nearly
forum of China Space Conference on April 25. The          technologies in a selective way to            seven-month voyage from Earth,
conference was organized by the Chinese Society of        enhance research and development              and sent back images of the red
Astronautics in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province.                efficiency, Wang said, adding, “We            planet in March.
    After the founding of the People’s Republic of        should hold an inclusive attitude,                A space infrastructure system
China in 1949, there were unremitting efforts to          and at the same time, adhere to               for communication, navigation and
develop advanced technologies despite restricted fi-      Chinese characteristics.”                     remote sensing is also included in
nancial, talent and technical resources.                      Last year, construction of the            the plan to provide services to the
    In 1970, China’s first artificial Earth satellite     homegrown global navigation sys-              world and make better contribu-
Dongfanghong-1 was successfully launched, mark-           tem BeiDou was completed. Started             tions to humanity’s use of space,
ing the beginning of the nation’s extraterrestrial        in the 1990s, it was constructed in           Zhang said. BR
exploration. “That also helped strengthen China’s na-     three stages.
tional defense capability and promoted its scientific         Last year also saw the success-
and technological development as well as economic         ful conclusion of China’s three-              Copyedited by
growth,” Wang said.                                       step lunar exploration program
                                                                                                        Sudeshna Sarkar
                                                                                                        Comments to
    After launching its first recoverable satellite       of orbiting, landing, and bringing            liqing@bjreview.com

http://www.bjreview.com                                                                                           MAY 13, 2021 BEIJING REVIEW   15
Historical Moments in Ch
                                                                                                         September 20, 1981
     November 26, 1975                                                                                   China for the first time launched three
     China launched its first recoverable                                                                satellites on one rocket, achieving a new
     satellite, which returned after                                                                     breakthrough in space technology.
     completing its mission in three days.
     The technological breakthrough saw
     China become the third country
     worldwide to master retrievable
     satellite technology.

                                                                                                            August 1987
                                                                                                            China made its first foray into the
                                                                                                            international commercial launch industry,
                                                                                                            with launching service for European
                                                                                                            aerospace manufacturer Aerospatiale
                                                                                                            Matra.

                                                                   April 24, 1970
                                                       China successfully launched
                                                     its first artificial Earth satellite,
                                         Dongfanghong-1, marking the beginning
                                         of the nation’s extraterrestrial exploration.

                                                               December 17, 2020
                                                               The return capsule of the Chang’e-5 probe touched
                                                               down on Earth. The event marked the successful
                                                               conclusion of the country’s current three-step lunar      July 23, 2020
                                                               exploration, which began in 2004.                         Tianwen-1, China’s first Mars probe,
                                                                                                                         was launched. It entered the Mars orbit
                                                                                                                         on February 10 and is expected to land
16   BEIJING REVIEW MAY 13, 2021                                                                                                       http://www.bjreview.com
                                                                                                                         on the red planet   in May or June.
ina’s Space Exploration
                                                        October 15, 2003
                                                        The Shenzhou-5 manned spaceship blasted
                                                        into space, embarking on China’s first manned
                                                        spaceflight, with Yang Liwei on board.

November 20, 1999
The first unmanned experimental                                   September 27, 2008
spacecraft of China, Shenzhou-1,
lifted off. The craft landed in Inner                             Astronaut Zhai Zhigang ventured out of the
Mongolia Autonomous Region                                        Earth-orbiting Shenzhou-7 spacecraft,,becoming
after 21 hours in orbit, completing                               China’s first spacewalker.
its maiden flight.

                                        August 16, 2016
                                        Micius, the world’s first quantum
                                        satellite, was launched. The satellite
                                        was built to establish “hack-proof”
                                        quantum communication from
                                        space to Earth and provide insights
                                        into quantum entanglement.

                                                                            January 3, 2019
                                                                            The Chang’e-4 lunar probe landed on the
                                                                            far side of Moon. So far, it is the only probe
                                                                            that has landed on that side of Moon.

                                                                    December 27, 2019
                                                                    China’s largest carrier rocket, Long March-5 Y3,
                                                                    lifted off from Hainan Province. Its flight laid the
                                                                    groundwork for ensuing space projects.

                                                               June 23, 2020
                                                               The 55th satellite of the BeiDou Navigation
                                                               Satellite System was launched into orbit,
                                                               marking the completion of China’s
                                                               homegrown global navigation system.

  http://www.bjreview.com                                                                 MAY 13, 2021 BEIJING REVIEW        17
COVER STORY

           SHARING THE PIE
             IN THE SKY
Space industry players urge cooperation for global and generational benefits
                                By Li Qing

S
        ince Soviet Union astronaut      was postponed to “early 2022” and       space such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX, established as
        Yuri Gagarin became the          since then, there has been no up-       early as in 2002 with the goal of establishing colo-
        first person to fly in space     date.                                   nies on Mars, China’s commercial space industry is
in 1961, the exploration of the uni-         “The service will be ini-           still in the primary stage, Zhao Qiming, a researcher
verse has changed stupendously. In       tially accessible to those with         with the Third Institute of China Aerospace Science
2001, Dennis Tito, a U.S. billion-       immense wealth,” Wu said.               and Industry Corp. (CASIC), said.
aire, reportedly paid $20 million for    “But in the future, space tourism            A white paper on China’s space activities released
an eight-day trip in space, becom-       should be affordable for the rich,      in 2017 stressed the importance of non-governmental
ing the world’s first space tourist.     if not the middle-income group.”        capital in space-related activities, including research
    Although the price of a seven-       He hoped that with the development      and production, space infrastructure, information
to-nine-day space trip has since         of the industry and technology,         products and services, and satellite application, to en-
jumped to $57 million, the global        Chinese companies will also cap-        hance the commercialization of the space industry.
space travel market still has a          ture a slice of the international            During the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) pe-
huge demand, Wu Ji, a researcher         space tourism market. “Commercial       riod, more space infrastructure will be built, and the
with the National Space Science          programs can help lower costs and       capability of commercial space systems enhanced,
Center of the Chinese Academy            improve the efficiency of space ac-     integrating them into major national development
of Sciences, said at a workshop          tivities, which will also benefit the   strategies, Fu Zhimin, chief engineer of CASIC, said
on China-U.S. commercial space           traditional players in this area,” he   at a forum on April 26.
dialogue during the China Space          said.                                        Development of the commercial space sector
Conference held in east China’s                                                  will also boost strategic emerging sectors such as the
city Nanjing on April 25.                A nascent sector                        digital economy, intelligent manufacturing and new
    The workshop was jointly orga-       However, unlike the U.S., which         materials.
nized by three NGOs from China           has veteran companies exploring              “China will enhance international cooperation and
and the U.S.—the Chinese Society
of Astronautics, Caelus Foundation
and the Secure World Foundation.
    American spaceflight company
                                          “We are one global community when it comes to
Virgin Galactic, one of the first to        space, which is a global marketplace facing a
jump into the fray, said early last
year that it had nearly 8,000 online     regulatory challenge. I think it is our responsibility to
registrations of interest from 60
countries and territories. At that
                                          address all of these issues together and to try to
time, the plan was to launch its first    resolve them so the future generations will have
commercial space tourism flights in
2021, with a 90-minute journey to
                                            access to space in the same way that we do.”
cost $250,000. However, the launch                ­—­Richard Dalbello, Vice President of Global Engagement, Virgin Galactic
18   BEIJING REVIEW MAY 13, 2021                                                                                      http://www.bjreview.com
for communication and growing

                                                                                                   COURTESY PHOTO
                                                                                                                    space debris, which is increasing the
                                                                                                                    potential risk for spacecraft, inter-
                                                                                                                    national space stations and manned
                                                                                                                    space activities.
                                                                                                                        “We are one global community
                                                                                                                    when it comes to space, which is a
                                                                                                                    global marketplace facing a regu-
                                                                                                                    latory challenge. I think it is our
                                                                                                                    responsibility to address all of these
                                                                                                                    issues together and to try to resolve
                                                                                                                    them so the future generations will
                                                                                                                    have access to space in the same
                                                                                                                    way that we do,” Dalbello said.
                                                                                                                        Zhao echoed him, saying
                                                                                                                    space resources belong to all; so
                                                                                                                    cooperation is the best way to har-
                                                                                                                    ness them. He proposed building a
Richard Dalbello, Vice President of Global Engagement, Virgin Galactic, addresses a workshop via                    shared mechanism with a satellite
video link during the China Space Conference in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, on April 25                              constellation that can be customized
                                                                                                                    according to different demands. It
provide more commercial space services to global us-      Zhao said, adding that technologies                       can be managed jointly with profits
ers,” Fu said.                                            and products with significant inno-                       shared by the companies from dif-
     Over 200 companies dealing in rockets, satel-        vation should be developed.                               ferent countries that build it.
lites and their applications have emerged in China in                                                                   “With more companies sharing
recent years. The industry has seen much progress,        Global blueprint                                          the cost, it will be less expensive to
including activities expanding from low-Earth orbit to    A recent article published by CNN,                        operate and benefit more people.
outer space and integration of aerospace and marine       Why China’s Space Program Could                           The lower cost will inject impetus
engineering technologies. Besides government sup-         Overtake NASA, said that the space                        into quality infrastructure construc-
port, technology breakthroughs achieved in the past       race in the 21st century is not so                        tion, which will form a virtuous
decades by traditional institutions provide the founda-   much between governmental ac-                             cycle,” he said.
tion for emerging players such as China Rocket Co.        tivities but between the Chinese                              Some U.S. companies still have
     Set up in 2016, China Rocket provides flexible       and U.S. commercial space indus-                          a stereotyped idea that China’s
and economical launch services such as the Jielong        try. The competition has “already                         commercial aerospace industry is a
series of indigenously manufactured rockets that op-      emerged in low-Earth orbit, [and]                         completely different business and
erate at competitive costs. Notably, the company is       will extend to Moon and eventually                        that the role of the government,
also improving its sea launch technology and running      Mars in the coming decades,” it pre-                      business models and even the defi-
research and development of reusable rockets.             dicted.                                                   nition of “commercial” are different
     The Chinese launch sites are mostly in deserts           Richard Dalbello, Vice President                      from those in other countries.
or among mountains, which increases transportation        of Global Engagement, Virgin                                  Wu said China’s industry is
costs and reduces commercial efficiency. With sea         Galactic, said competition in space                       developing in the same way as in
launches, commercial rocket companies can integrate       is inevitable as technology advanc-                       the rest of the world, comprising
manufacturing and launch.                                 es. But cooperation is necessary as                       an emerging corporate sector with
     Jin Xin, Vice President of China Rocket, said        there is still a substantial amount of                    fierce competition, government sup-
local governments are showing great interest in the       work to be done by governments                            port, participation of capital, and
space industry. However, more support from the            and others working in commercial                          promising players. BR
Central Government in policies, funds, and taxation is    space.                                                                (Reporting from Nanjing,
still needed. “In return, the industry will promote lo-       With all of these new technolo-                                           Jiangsu Province)
cal economic development,” he said.                       gies, some of the older issues are
     China’s commercial aerospace industry needs an       also harder to address, he said, cit-                     Copyedited by Sudeshna Sarkar
improved supply chain with a better business model,       ing the allocation of global spectrum                     Comments to liqing@bjreview.com

http://www.bjreview.com                                                                                                      MAY 13, 2021 BEIJING REVIEW   19
COVER STORY

                 SKY ROCKETING
                Private rocket developers in China have taken off, embarking
                                on a long march By Yuan Yuan

                                                                                                                                               XINHUA
The carrier rocket CERES-1 developed by company Galactic Energy blasts off from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in Gansu Province
on November 7, 2020

C
          hinese private rocket               The success in 2019 has instilled confidence in              Peng Xiaobo, founder of i-
          developer, i-Space has suc-     China’s private rocket developers and in turn helped         Space, which is also known as
          cessfully completed a test      the company to secure more investment. One year              Beijing Interstellar Glory Space
run on a new engine it hopes will         after that launch, another private Chinese company,          Technology, used to be a rocket
power its next test rocket later this     Galactic Energy, was also able to successfully launch        designer at the China Academy of
year. The breakthrough was made           a satellite with its own rocket.                             Launch Vehicle Technology. He
on April 26, just three days before           While the company’s failed launch in February            established i-Space after seeing a
China’s launch of Tianhe, the core        might have dampened some of the enthusiasm in                market for commercial rockets.
module for its first permanent space      China’s private rocket industry, it hasn’t hindered          At that stage, there were already
station Tiangong.                         the company’s preparations for the upcoming launch           private rocket developers in China,
     While visually less spectacular      later this year.                                             who were working to raise funds
than the launch of Tianhe, the i-                                                                      and make maiden launches.
Space test run was important for the      New space players                                                “There were two reasons why
company as it prepares for its next at-   Aerospace had been a government-funded undertak-             investors were hesitant to invest
tempt to send a rocket into orbit. This   ing in China until 2014, when it gave the green light        in this industry during its early
will be the company’s third such          for private companies to participate in aerospace            stages,” said Li Xin, a Beijing-
attempt since its establishment in        development. In 2016, the National Development               based investor. “One is that many
October 2016. Its first, in July 2019,    and Reform Commission as well as the State                   investors were not familiar with
was successful; however, its second       Administration of Science, Technology and Industry           aerospace technology, and the other
in February this year, was not.           for National Defense released more detailed plans for        is that the industry had long been
     These attempts have placed i-        the opening of the industry to private companies.            run by the state, so it was difficult
Space in the national spotlight. Prior        These plans were a stimulus for rapid develop-           to obtain sufficient data to estimate
to its successful launch in 2019, two     ment of the industry, inspiring some aerospace               market performance.”
other Chinese private rocket devel-       experts to establish aerospace firms, with many                  Founded in October 2016,
opers had tried and failed, making        choosing to start firms focusing on the development          i-Space didn’t receive its first in-
i-Space the first Chinese private         of satellites. Satellites need be sent into orbit by rock-   vestment until August 2017. In
space firm to send a satellite into       ets, yet currently, the cost of launching satellites is      2018, two rocket launch attempts
orbit, and marking a milestone for        mostly higher than that of developing them, hinder-          respectively by two other compa-
China’s commercial space industry.        ing the development of the industry.                         nies, OneSpace and LandSpace,
20   BEIJING REVIEW MAY 13, 2021                                                                                         http://www.bjreview.com
both failed, creating a gloomy at-      intentions in launching its first rocket,” Liu said. “For        ment of about $225 million, will
mosphere around the industry. But       Galactic Energy, launching a rocket was just the                 be used for research, development
the successful launch by i-Space        start of a long march. The goal of our private rocket            and production of liquid propel-
in 2019 marked a turning point          developers is to lower launching cost by developing              lant rocket engines for Galactic
in public perception. The rocket,       reusable carrier rockets.”                                       Energy’s Pallas series of launch
Hyperbola-1, carried two satellites                                                                      vehicles.
and three additional payloads into      The layout                                                           Other public-private partnerships
orbit at an altitude of 300 kilome-     In late 2018, LandSpace opened China’s first pri-                include a major commercial aero-
ters, making i-Space the third in the   vately owned carrier rocket factory in Huzhou, a city            space base in Wuhan, capital city of
world to do so after SpaceX and         in Zhejiang Province. With the factory, the largest of           Hubei Province in central China, and
Blue Origin from the United States.     its kind in Asia, LandSpace is about to mass produce             a coastal facility for sea launches and
     “When talking about rocket de-     rockets.                                                         launch vehicle production in the east-
velopers, many would think of Elon          LandSpace plans to launch its ZQ 2 rocket this               ern province of Shandong.
Musk,” said i-Space Vice President      year, and begin mass producing the rocket and its                    “Besides the United States and
Huo Jia. “Musk’s company SpaceX         engines in the near future. According to Zhang                   Russia, China is the only country in
was founded in 2002 and achieved        Changwu, founder of LandSpace, starting from 2022,               the world that has an entire industri-
orbit in 2008. We cut that process      the plant will be able to produce 15 ZQ 2 rockets and            al chain of rocket manufacturing,”
to less than three years.”              200 engines per year.                                            Huo said. “This is our advantage.”
    Galactic Energy was established         To fund the ZQ 2 program, LandSpace raised 1.2                   In January, i-Space was report-
in 2018 and followed i-Space to be-     billion yuan ($175 million) in its 2020 round of fi-             edly planning to conduct an initial
come China’s second private space       nancing, the largest ever fundraising event in China’s           public offering in the science
firm to successfully achieve orbit      private space industry.                                          and technology-focused science
in November 2020. The company’s             The development of the private rocket companies              and technology innovation board
founder, Liu Baiqi, was previously      has also received support from local governments in              in Shanghai. If the listing goes
an associate professor at Beihang       China. In September 2020, Galactic Energy signed an              smoothly, it will become the first
University, formerly known as           agreement with the government of Jianyang, a coun-               commercial rocket firm listed on
Beijing University of Aeronautics       ty-level city under the administration of Chengdu,               the market in China.
and Astronautics.                       Sichuan Province, to construct a base there.                         It is estimated that at least 3,000
    “Each company has different             The base in Jianyang, with a planned total invest-           Chinese commercial satellites are
                                                                                                         waiting to be carried into orbit and
                                                                                                         this number will increase in the
                                                                                                         following years with the growing
                                                                                                         demand for satellite service.
                                                                                                             Wang Yanan, Chief Editor of
                                                                                                         Aerospace Knowledge magazine,
                                                                                                         suggested major private commercial
                                                                                                         aerospace enterprises seek partici-
                                                                                                         pation in more projects, such as the
                                                                                                         construction of space stations, and
                                                                                                         Moon and Mars exploration, for
                                                                                                         more sustained development. “The
                                                                                                         participation of China’s commercial
                                                                                                         aerospace enterprises will help the
                                                                                                         sector make advances in many as-
                                                                                                         pects such as cost control, decision-
                                                                                                         making efficiency and adapting to
                                                                                                         new technological changes,” Wang
                                                                                                         said. BR
                                                                                                XINHUA

Rocket models stand in the carrier rocket factory of LandSpace in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province,             Copyedited by G.P. Garth
on May 26, 2020                                                                                          Comments to yuanyuan@bjreview.com

http://www.bjreview.com                                                                                           MAY 13, 2021 BEIJING REVIEW   21
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