Chinese perspective on an international regime of space traffic management

In recent decades, the outer space environment has become increasingly congested as a result of the proliferation of space activity, the growth of space debris, and the diversification of parties entering space. This has caused serious threats to the safety of space activity and operations. Space traffic management (STM) is an effective way of monitoring space traffic, protecting the space environment, and securing space safety. The establishment of an international STM regime requires sufficient technical capacity, and more importantly, effective regulatory arrangements at both the domestic and international levels. This paper aims to examine China's domestic legal and policy arrangements, its efforts and practice at the international level, and underlying concerns regarding STM. In this regard, China has established several departmental rules governing regulatory management, such as the registration of space objects and the acquisition of permits for civil space launch projects. As to the remediation of space debris, the recently issued Interim Measures on Space Debris Mitigation and Protective Management deals with the problem of space debris from various aspects including R&D, launch, operation of space vehicles, evaluation of collision risk and coping measures. In general, China has realized the importance of implementing STM and has made certain legal and policy arrangements in this regard. However, due to the diverse perspectives and interests of countries, as well as the sensitivity involved with STM, the establishment of an international STM regime would not be possible without effective cooperation and interest coordination among space-faring countries. At the domestic level, China would still need to improve its space legislation and ensure the effective implementation of relevant rules and policies; at the international level, China would continue to promote international cooperation, particularly, space data sharing, participation in related international space legislation, and facilitation of the establishment of an international regime of STM.