Americans and others have misgivings about Chinese space initiatives that were further inflated by China’s 2007 antisatellite test. Others argue that Beijing’s aims are benevolent. Examining prevalent trends in China’s military thinking is the key to exposing its real motivations. China is not monolithic but has competing views. It may challenge U.S. hegemony in space as elsewhere someday, but its present capabilities in technology, doctrine, and organization suggest that is a long way off. Washington will be best served for the time being by understanding the Local War school of thought, using strategic communications not to convey belligerent messages, and carefully managing its reliance on space systems in light of China’s discovery of U.S. vulnerabilities in that realm.