The major and crucial difference, however, is the on-orbit presence. China does not have a continuous military space presence equal even to what the Soviet or the U.S. were able to muster in the 1960s. In the last decade, the number of Chinese launches has totaled only about twelve percent of U.S. launches. In any given period, the Chinese operate no more than 6-10 satellites with most being communications (or navigation) rather than sensor platforms. The operational life of Chinese satellites, which press reports state is considerably shorter than those of comparable U.S. satellites, also reduce China’s onorbit military presence. While China’s announced goal is to create a multi-satellite system for continuous operation, they have not committed the resources to achieve this.

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Lewis, James A. "China as a Military Space Competitor." Perspectives on Space Security. Ed. Audrey M. Schaffer. Washington, D.C.: Space Policy Institute, December 2005. [ 8 quotes ] [ page 95 ]