China is expanding its space partnerships across the Middle East through satellites, navigation systems, technology transfer, and other forms of cooperation. Beijing tailors these partnerships to individual countries, while governments such as Egypt, Iran, and the UAE use Chinese cooperation to pursue their own technological and strategic interests.

A new report in the Texas National Security Review, Choosing Orbits: China's Space Diplomacy in the Middle East, explores how regional agency, technological competition, and the broader U.S.-China rivalry are increasingly intersecting in space. Two of the article's authors, Lawrence Rubin, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, and Lincoln Hines, an associate professor at Georgia Tech, join Eric to discuss how space is the new frontier in China's soft power diplomacy.

📌 Topics Covered in This Episode
🛰️ China's expanding space partnerships across the Middle East
🌍 Space diplomacy as a tool of Chinese influence
🇪🇬 Egypt's growing space and technology cooperation with China
🇦🇪 How the UAE balances China and the United States
⚔️ Dual-use satellites and the security implications of space technology
🇺🇸🇨🇳 U.S.-China competition over the future of space

Show Notes:

Texas National Security Review: Choosing Orbits: China's Space Diplomacy in the Middle East by Lawrence Rubin, Lincoln Hines & Dayana Alagirova
South China Morning Post: For China and the Middle East, a Space Silk Road is written in the stars by Yang Xiaotong
The Washington Institute for Near East Policy: China's Push for Satellite Cooperation in the Middle East by Henry Tugendhat

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How China Uses Space to Build Influence in the Mideast

The China-Global South Podcast

How China Uses Space to Build Influence in the Mideast