[Correspondent Diary] China's Space Show 'Hwaseong Project'

China's Mars rover Tianwen-1 lands... third after the US and Soviet Union
Xiangokang Society holds political events including the 100th anniversary of the Communist Party founding and Winter Olympics

[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Jo Young-shin] One of China's first political events of the year, the successful Mars landing of 'Tianwen 1' has been completed. At 7:18 a.m. on the 15th (local time), China's first unmanned Mars probe Tianwen 1 landed on the Martian plain region called Utopia.

Chinese state-run Xinhua News Agency and other Chinese media simultaneously reported the news of Tianwen 1's Mars landing. China became the third country to land a probe on Mars, following the United States and Russia (former Soviet Union).

[Image source=Yonhap News]

With the landing news announced, China is in a festive mood. Since the American Mars probe Perseverance, launched around the same time, successfully landed and is conducting exploration on Mars, the pride felt by the Chinese people is exceptional. The image of the Changzheng 5B rocket debris falling to Earth just a week ago, causing global concern, has completely disappeared.

Until now, space has been a stage dominated by the United States. American Mars exploration began in 1965, and the Viking 2 Mars probe landed on Mars in 1976, with the U.S. steadily continuing Mars exploration.

Although there is still a gap between the space science and technology of the U.S. and China, the success of Tianwen 1's landing is significant in that China has taken its first step into Mars exploration, which the U.S. has led alone. It also demonstrates that China possesses the economic power and space science technology to bear the astronomical costs involved in Mars exploration. Furthermore, it is enough to wash away the image of being a "poor country that is naked and starving," a "country that makes counterfeit (fake trademark) products," or a "country that only produces cheap goods with low labor costs."

Tianwen 1 is a space show sufficient to evoke pride that China possesses space science technology similar to that of the U.S., amid heightened U.S.-China tensions.

Upcoming events include the official declaration of a "Xiaokang society (a society where all people enjoy a comfortable and affluent life)," the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party, and the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. In 2002, President Jiang Zemin presented the goal of creating a Xiaokang society by 2020 at the 16th National Congress of the Communist Party. Last October, Chinese President Xi Jinping declared at the 5th Plenary Session of the 19th Central Committee of the Communist Party that "the Party Central Committee will officially announce the construction of a Xiaokang society after an internal evaluation in the first half of next year." The official declaration of a Xiaokang society means that the Chinese Communist Party has fulfilled its promise to the people.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party is scheduled for July. Although the list of invited overseas guests and event details have not yet been announced, the event is expected to be held on a large scale. The 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, scheduled for February next year, is also an important political event. China plans to showcase its "rise" to the world through the Winter Olympics.

The ultimate goal of China's political events is the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party, expected around October next year. China holds a party congress every five years to elect new leadership. President Xi was elected General Secretary at the 18th Party Congress in 2012 and re-elected at the 19th Party Congress in 2017. His term is until 2022. However, the constitutional term limit rule, which prohibited more than two consecutive terms for the president and vice president, was removed in 2018. Xi Jinping can serve a third term, and depending on circumstances, the door to long-term rule is open.

The success of Tianwen 1's Mars landing signifies that the first button for extending the Chinese leadership's power has been well fastened. From the perspective of our space science and technology, which is still in its infancy, Tianwen 1's landing is something to celebrate and envy, but from the standpoint of international affairs, it is a concerning matter.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.