however, at the international conferences china hasas been vey outspoken for over a decade declaring that space should not be militarized, correct? >> yes. >> and it deplores the militarization of space, correct? >> correct. >> although it's quite clear that they're going down the military track to at least not be in a position of disadvantage to the united states, is that correct? >> they are moving down the track of wanting to ensure their own ability to use space in event of conflict. whether or not that's quite the same thing i think remains to be seen. the chinese basically understand, for the people's liberation army, the pla, they understand that if they are called upon to fight a war that they will have to be able to use space. >> the pla puts a program together and put the technology together with a corporation which is also, i think, joined to the pla, the people's liberation army. >> the chinese aerospace industries, their ownership is extremely murky. >> murky. >> yes. the pla certainly has interests in all that occurs in places like chinese aerospace and space technologi