China, US in battle for space supremacy
Is it all just a game of Go? In the China Sea and outer space? One top US general thinks so.
America’s top man for assessing military capabilities of foreign powers believes China is playing a game in space in its efforts to become the premier power in space, Nathan Strout of C4ISRNET online reports.
Go is a board game invented in China thousands of years ago where players strategically place stones on a board to capture the most territory.
“The object of Go is to block and deny territory to your opponent. Unlike chess, you’re not going after a king or a queen and there’s not a final move where you’re declared victor. You add up points on the board based on the amount of territory or space that you control. Think of that in the context of aerial denial and aerial defense,” said Defense Intelligence Agency Director Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley at the CyberSat19 conference.
Looking to the South China Sea, where China has built artificial islands to further its claims to the area, Ashley said he saw a direct connection between the ancient board game and China’s modern military strategy, the report said.
“I started seeing literally what is a game of Go being played on the planet,” said the director. “That game is also being played in space.”
The DIA is responsible for informing the military, policy makers and — to an extent — the public on the military capabilities and intentions of foreign nations. As the head of that agency, Ashley said China wants to use space to further its influence, with ambitions that extend far beyond its own borders. […]