Summary
China is deepening its space ties with Africa, particularly Egypt, where a Chinese-backed space lab is assembling satellites.
While presented as a boost for Africa’s space industry, China retains access to satellite data and maintains personnel at these facilities.
The partnerships expand China’s surveillance reach and military capabilities, alarming the U.S. and allies. Beijing denies espionage claims, arguing it promotes global space development.
As the U.S. pulls back on space diplomacy, China’s investments in Africa are securing strategic alliances in the growing global space race.
If you take a view of America as it truly is and truly has been, rather than an idealized view of what it could be or says it is, it’s hard to say that America is the superior option, especially considering the direction that America has been going over the last 30-50 years.
At least Chinese investments in renewable energy and sciences and general human development are actually underway, unlike the United States, which seems hell bent on halting or reversing all of the above. And this is not even a trump thing, that has been the trend for most of my adult life, at least as far as I can tell: Rising anti-intellectualism, gutting the arts, science denial, and doubling or tripling down on non-renewable energy sources have been the milieu in the USA as long as I can remember, having been born there in 1990.
As one of your neighbours to the North, I’ve seen this happen within my lifetime as well. Ironic that the Matrix predicted the apex of our civilization to be around 1999. It’s quickly coming true.