China has taken action against a foreign ship for using Elon Musk’s company Starlink in its territorial waters. According to a report in the South China Morning Post, China considers this satellite internet service a threat to its national security. Starlink is completely banned in China, and the company does not even have a license to provide service there. Chinese authorities say that any ship entering their territory must immediately stop using Starlink terminals. Why does China consider Starlink a threat? China has very strict laws regarding telecommunications and the internet. Foreign companies are not allowed to provide basic telecommunications services, including satellite internet. China fears military connections. Starlink is a vast network of low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellites. According to an AP report, Chinese researchers believe Starlink poses a “high risk” to China’s strategic interests. Starlink’s communication data passes through foreign gateways, rather than domestic infrastructure, over which China has no control. China’s National University of Defense Technology published a paper in 2023. It stated that the US is using Starlink technology to enhance its military power. Therefore, other countries consider it a security threat in the nuclear, space, and cyber domains. Musk’s preparations to break the monopoly: Elon Musk’s company SpaceX currently has a monopoly in the satellite internet world. Starlink operates in more than 140 countries around the world. In June this year, it also got a license to operate in India (source). SpaceX’s ‘Falcon 9’ is the only rocket in the world that is reusable (i.e. can be used again and again) and regularly launches satellites. China now wants to break this monopoly. China’s private rocket company ‘Landspace’ recently tested its new ‘Zhuque-3’ model reusable rocket. Although this launch failed, according to a Reuters report, many Chinese government and private companies are now competing to build and test their own reusable rockets.
