Secrecy and dissimulation complicates analysis of China’s space efforts and many questions remain about China’s military space capabilities. China is actively pursing military, civil and commercial activities in space. China has built and launched a broad range (albeit with varying degrees of sophistication and performance) of military satellites and its space reconnaissance and ASAT programs could pose a challenge for the U.S. Despite this, China’s military presence in space is sporadic. It does not have a coherent military space architecture. If an effective military space program entails continuous coverage by intelligence collection satellites and a network of communications satellites, China has not made the effort. This absence in space is not the result of a lack of technological capability, but reflects a national decision about how to spend resources for space.

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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 107 ]