A. Space being used to support ruling party legitimacy

Link- Zero Sum

Out of this uncertainty, inconsistency, and unpredictability springs the near-universal tendency to err on the side of caution. The prevailing view on both sides, Johnson-Freese concludes in her hard-hitting critique of the state of Sino-American discourse on space, holds that space progress is a zero-sum game in which any advance made by either side is harmful to the security of the other side. In this psychological climate, it is unclear what if any space activity would be considered non-threatening, and the unfortunate effect is to foster an almost irreversible momentum of escalating tensions over space. Before the momentum propels the antagonists across the Rubicon, she recommends that they redouble their effort to convey clear and consistent messages, improve the dialogue, and step lightly into cooperation in the non-threatening area of space science through strategic-level talks about the Bush Moon-Mars Initiative.

A zero-sum mindset toward space is hardening in China as a result of this apprehension, as amply illustrated in the public media. Space is eyed in China as an area of resources and possibilities to be acquired before it's too late. Shu Xing, whose book is reviewed later in this journal, likens the grabbing of satellite orbits to the “Enclosure Movement” in late 18th Century England in which the more capability one has, the more resources one can seize. Another reviewed author argued that countries scramble into space to fight for the tremendous resources found there and “once this fight for resources causes irreconcilable conflicts, it may lead to radical space confrontations.” A space war seems to many Chinese to be another form of resource war. Such urgency in seeking control over resources is not unique to space, but also applies to energy and other areas. Given China's population and rapid economic growth, controlling resources is understandably a paramount concern. Regarding space, however, a zero-sum (‘win-lose') attitude is narrow-minded and misguided. If feverish competition for resources in space causes Sino-American relations to deteriorate or leads to the outbreak of war between them, then both parties lose.

Internal Link- Economy

Space satellites key to China’s economy

Chambers 09 (Rob, Naval Postgraduate school, revised by Moltz, Dr. James Clay, Naval Postgraduate School, “China’s Space Prgoram: A New Tool For PRC “Soft Power” In International Relations?” http://edocs.nps.edu/npspubs/scholarly/theses/2009/Mar/09Mar_Chambers.pdf)

Given the resource constraints on its budget and personnel, China needed to find the proverbial “biggest bang for the yuan” for space technology investment. It smartly chose communication satellites to start with, which could support a wide range of government services as well numerous civilian and commercial applications. Yardley writes, “Satellites have become status symbols and technological necessities for many countries that want an ownership stake in the digital world dominated by the West.”115 Earth-imaging (or “remote sensing”) and weather satellites, which can also support a variety of applications are of almost equal importance. Growth in these areas, as well as other space-related industries, have had positive side-effects for the Chinese economy, commercial growth, and laid a solid foundation for space science and high-technological research and development.

Internal link- Environment

Space is increasingly linked to Chinese social and environmental planning

East Asian Strategic Review 2008 (“The national Institute for Defense Studies Japan” Chapter 1: China’s Space Development— A Tool for Enhancing National Strength and Prestige, http://www.nids.go.jp/english/publication/east-asian/pdf/2008/east-asian_e2008_01.pdf)

China’s domestic use of space is progressing in both security and civilian applications. Space usage for meteorological, communication, and other civilian purposes is expected to continue growing. Data from space can effectively support efforts related to the environment and disaster mitigation, including: water utilization surveys and land usage enhancement in urban centers, suburbs, and agricultural regions; natural resource exploration; pollution monitoring; forecasting of Asian dust (yellow sand) events and sandstorms, and development of countermeasures; disaster prediction; and assistance for disaster-stricken areas. Of greater interest to China, however, is the use of satellite data to improve agricultural crop cultivars. China possesses less than ten percent of the world’s arable land, yet must feed a population that accounts for more than twenty percent of humankind. China is attempting to develop better cultivars by exposing seeds in space to micro-gravity, near-vacuum, and cosmic radiation. If all goes well, the improved seeds may revolutionize the Chinese agricultural industry. The practical orientation of China’s space program is visible in other areas as well. China’s becoming the third nation to achieve human spaceflight and the announcement of new projects for space station construction and lunar exploration are not just means of boosting national prestige; they also show that the nation is steadily making progress in practical space use. This trend may accelerate in the years ahead, and it is unlikely to slow down.

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