International Legal Governance of Space Resources and the Role of National Frameworks: The Case of China.

This article examines China’s evolving role in international space law, focusing on space resource extraction and commercialisation amid increasing private sector involvement globally. It highlights China’s current lack of comprehensive national legislation governing space resource activities, contrasting this with the proactive legal frameworks of countries like the US, Luxembourg, Japan, and the UAE, which have operationalised national laws to support commercial space mining under the Outer Space Treaty (OST). China’s dual identity as both a major space-faring nation and a developing country contributes to its cautious and ambiguous stance in international norm-making, emphasizing state control and scientific use over private ownership of space resources. The article argues that China’s development of a stronger, consolidated domestic legal framework, coupled with active participation in plurilateral cooperation such as the International Lunar Research Station (ILRS) project, is crucial for shaping emerging international space law and enhancing its influence in the governance of space resource utilisation.