Yes, Communist China is Planning to Take Over the Moon – And We May Need to Fight for It

Based on China’s ownership claims and belligerent expansionist actions toward the entire South China Sea, it should not seem far-fetched that it is planning a similar takeover of the moon. And NASA’s chief is now saying just that.

In a two-part analysis in August 2021, I wrote about the upcoming potential battle with China for a moon base site.

I wrote that: “There may be only a few locations on the moon where it would make economic sense to build a base, said Bleddyn Bowen, a professor at the University of Leicester and author of War in Space: Strategy, Spacepower, Geopolitics, and this is driving the concern.”

Tara Copp explained in Defense One:

“If you have a situation like that, where you’re trying to do something in the exact same spot, it’s essentially who gets there first,” said Alex Gilbert, a researcher and space resources doctoral student at the Payne Institute at the Colorado School of Mines. “And if you’re not first, then the only alternative is to forcibly remove the current occupant.”

And now Bill Nelson, the head of NASA, is warning about the same thing — that China is preparing to lay claim to key areas of the moon.

“There is a new race to space — this time with China,” the NASA chief told Bild in an interview published Saturday.

Bild also noted that China plans to work with Russia to establish a base on the Moon by 2035 — something I also wrote about in April 2021.

Nelson said: “We must be very concerned that China is landing on the moon and saying: It’s ours now and you stay out.”

He added that “China’s space program is a military space program.”

“What do you think is happening on the Chinese space station?” Nelson said, referring to China’s Tiangong space station. “They learn there how to destroy other people’s satellites.” (RELATED: China’s Hypersonic Spaceplane Nuke Based on Old Chinese American’s Design for NASA)

In April, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) described various potential Chinese space-based weapons including the Shijian-17 satellite, which is equipped with a robotic arm the agency believes could be used to grab and damage other satellites.

On Monday China rejected the NASA chief’s warning that China might “take over” the moon as part of a military program, saying it has always called for the building of a community of nations in outer space. (RELATED: No One is Buying Chinese Weapons, and Now Fewer Russian Ones)

But as I wrote in part two of my moon-base piece, this concern is partly what prompted:

President Trump’s 2020 promise to have U.S. ‘boots on the moon’ by 2024 via the Artemis Base Camp project, led by NASA and partnering with several allied countries.

I added that “This ambitious U.S.-led effort is outlined in the Artemis Accords. But neither Russia nor China are expected to join these accords.”

It is therefore very likely both the China-Russia and U.S.-led efforts will build their moon bases without any sort of de-conflicting agreement in place. And that’s where the Space Marines I have long advocated for may come in handy. (RELATED: Space Marines or Starship Troopers? – Rocket-Launched US SpecOps to Deploy Worldwide)

But we will need new doctrine as well as Space Marines and capabilities to achieve that.

So, it’s definitely now time for the U.S. and its allies to start aggressively preparing for a potential battle on the surface of the moon. Space Marines to the ready. ALD

Paul Crespo

Website |  + postsBio

Paul Crespo is the Managing Editor of American Liberty Defense News. As a Marine Corps officer, he led Marines, served aboard ships in the Pacific and jumped from helicopters and airplanes. He was also a military attaché with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) at U.S. embassies worldwide. He later ran for state and federal office, taught political science, wrote for the editorial board of a major newspaper and had his own radio show. A graduate of Georgetown, London and Cambridge universities, he brings decades of experience and insight to the issues that most threaten our American liberty – at home and from abroad. To read more go to: paulcrespo.com.

• Paul Crespo

  https://americanliberty.news/profile/pcrespo/

  

  June 3, 2026

  Trump’s AI Export Policy Faces Scrutiny As Chinese Military-Linked Labs Seek Access
• Paul Crespo

  https://americanliberty.news/profile/pcrespo/

  

  June 2, 2026

  America’s Not Ready For 21st Century Warfare
• Paul Crespo

  https://americanliberty.news/profile/pcrespo/

  

  May 28, 2026

  Pentagon Shift Raises Questions About America’s NATO Strategy
• Paul Crespo

  https://americanliberty.news/profile/pcrespo/

  

  May 27, 2026

  NASA Envisions A Massive Moon Base Patrolled By Autonomous Drones