China. China. China.

With a anti-satellite program successfully tested, record economic growth, military spending on the rise, international investments in Africa, China is on the go, but where?
The anti-satellite weapon test of January the 19th in which an obsolete Chinese weather satellite was destroyed, brought about some concern as to the military implications to the weaponization of space the possible implications on treaties, and the "health" of our space.
“The principled position of the Chinese government is that we stand for the peaceful use of space,” said spokesman Liu Jianchao. “We are against the introduction of weapons into space.” However the reaction of many international leaders was one of alarm. A Chinese ballistic missile launched from a mobile vehicle, which can destroy an orbiting satellite sounds like a throw back to the great "star wars" program under the Regan administration. The threat from theis weaponry is very real to US and international civilian and military satellite programs.
The "health" of space is taken into question along with this debate. The debris from the destruction of these obsolete programs can place current operational space programs into jeopardy, however unlikely that small chance is, is one which the US government is not taking lightly. The US is watching the situation very closely, "A Bush administration official said the Chinese had conducted three other tests between September 2004 and February 2006. Another senior administration official said the earlier missile launches were “mostly successful” but were intended to test parts of the anti-satellite system before conducting a final test."
What direction will the Chinese take this action? The talk of missiles, missiles, missiles, the current buzz word of the international conflict map. From Lebanon, Iran, North Korea, even the US, missiles and missile defense is all the rage in military hardware. China is now taking the step of showing its muscle in the security sphere. China too has the economic might to back such a program, with a growing economy, a "boom in exports that generated a trade surplus of $177.47bn last year." The national economy of the People's Republic is likely to keep the momentum on military spending. With the economy growth rate up to 10.7%, and military spending up to 36 billion dollars, a 15% increase from last year's military budget, China perhaps is looking for a strategy to keep itself from being left behind. A strategy of placing pressure on Washington to see Beijing as still relevant, and to place pressure on the international community to show the might and growth of the Chinese nation. With greater prestige in the international community so to comes great responsibility, China will have to live up to that bargain as it plays its full house.