Chinese research institute "China's space infrastructure construction level is second in the world after the United States."

(Beijing = Yonhap News) Correspondent Kim Hyun-jung = Chinese research institutes have self-assessed that China's space infrastructure construction level is second in the world after the United States.

On the 13th, China's official Chinese newspaper reported that the '2026 Global Space Infrastructure Assessment' report with this content was announced at the special forum 'Construction of smart cities and space infrastructure amid global changes' held in Beijing the previous day.

This report is a comprehensive evaluation of the competitiveness of space infrastructure in 48 economic regions in terms of hardware and software jointly by research institutes affiliated with renowned Chinese universities, including Peking University, Tsinghua University, Zhejiang University of Foreign Studies, and Shenzhen Campus of the Chinese University of Hong Kong.

As a result of the evaluation, the United States ranked first overall, followed by China. Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, India, Italy, and the Netherlands also ranked in the top 10.

In hardware sectors such as life support systems, launch and transportation systems, communications, and energy, the United States and China are leading, while Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and India are also competitive.

In terms of software, including laws, regulations, and dispute resolution mechanisms, France, the United States, Russia, China, and Italy ranked in the top group.

The report also predicted that by 2035, humanity's space activities will be centered on the space 'between the Earth and the Moon.'

Although it was predicted that the area would likely expand to the Mars sphere after 2040, it was predicted that it would be difficult for humanity to enter interplanetary space on a large scale in the short term.

In addition, it was predicted that outer space would emerge as a new arena for geopolitical and technological competition.

Wang Feng, an associate researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times, an English-language newspaper affiliated with the People's Daily, an organ of the Chinese Communist Party, saying, "Competition in the space field will become more intense over the next 10 years. There is a high possibility that Earth and lunar space will become the main stage of the global space race."

In particular, Wang predicted that the focus of competition would shift from individual technologies to the space industry ecosystem and rule-making power.

Reports and industry officials assessed that China is competitive in manned spaceflight and long-term stay in low-Earth orbit, systematic satellite navigation and earth observation systems, and the ability to carry out large-scale space projects.

The company is quickly catching up with the leaders in reusable launch vehicles, and analysis has also suggested that related technological developments can contribute to lowering the launch costs of commercial space projects.

Associate Researcher Wang explained, "Space infrastructure will be deeply integrated with the terrestrial digital economy and closely combined with next-generation communication technology. It will be a key strategic foundation for the future digital economy and a foundation for the systematic development of deep space exploration."