The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) activities in outer space present a unique threat to international security that American leadership and the public are only starting to fully appreciate, experts say. Of key importance are the CCP’s blurring of civil and military pursuits, and its efforts to exploit American satellite networks. Central to the CCP’s attempts to dominate space is its national strategy of military-civil fusion, in which the regime seeks the wholesale erosion of any barrier between the civilian and military domains. The military-civil fusion strategy aims to transform the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) into the world’s preeminent military force by 2049, the centennial anniversary of communist rule on the Chinese mainland, and its implementation is directly overseen by Chinese leader Xi Jinping, according to the U.S. State Department. The PLA maintains near-total oversight of all aspects of CCP space programs as part of the fusion strategy. This includes the …