The Research Of Obama's Space Policy Within The Framework Of The Relative Hegemony Decline

With the rapid development of space technology,outer space has become another issue that needs special attention after sea,land and sky.A strategist once pointed out that “The country who could control the outer space will become the world strongest power in the 21 st century.” Since U.S.is the hegemony possessing the world's finest space technology,study over its space polices is of vital theoretical and empirical significance.Barack Obama came into power when the American hegemony was shaking in the rush of financial crisis,which took place under the background of global multi-polarization of politics.Thus it is unavoidable that the Obama government has to seek cooperation in its outer space policy.But actually,no matter how changeable the strategies are,the nature of the U.S.strategy would remain the same--that is to protect the U.S.hegemony.Although Obama Administration's space policy system has some advantages,it would,in a long view,putting further strain on the interstate relations and aggravating the arm race in outer space.As the promotion of the overall strength,especially the acceleration of space technology,our country has been regarded as the first “imaginary enemy” of the U.S.striving for the hegemony.As a result,we have to strengthen our own space capability and eliminate unnecessary misunderstandings from the international world to contribute to the peaceful use of the outer space of the humanity.Therefore,we should,at the same time,share of international responsibilities,make efforts in bettering existing mechanism to maintain regional stability and worldwide prosperity.This paper starts with the introduction of the political economy of hegemony decline,which is one of the best models in neoclassical realism theory.This theory argues that economic strategies used by rising states will affect the shape and strength of domestic political coalitions within the declining hegemony.Also,the theory offers a "second image reversed plus second image" model to explain how declining hegemony reacts to slow down their decline.Within this theoretical framework,this study hypothesizes space policy adopted by Obama Administration fits this model under the present international situation,from the perspectives of both in and out of U.S.Thus revealing the contents,characteristics and nature of Obama's space policy system.This paper also explains the influence of Obama's space policy system before proposing possible measures for China in gaining legal rights over the outer space and even building our own space policy system.The paper proposes that we should strengthen space cooperation,promoting space commercialization and civil use of space,which can only be guaranteed though an established.space policy system.Before that we need devote ourselves to the development of institutional mechanism related so as toeffectively safeguard our rights and interests in outer space to raise our international standing in space diplomacy.