Chinese commercial satellite operator GalaxySpace is intensifying its global expansion, moving to secure a foothold in the Middle East and Central Asia as Beijing seeks to challenge the international dominance of Elon Musk’s Starlink.
GalaxySpace (Beijing) Technology Group Co. signed a Memorandum of Understanding this week with Profen, a major Turkish satellite communications provider. The deal marks a strategic pivot for the Chinese firm as it attempts to export its low-Earth orbit satellite internet solutions beyond Southeast Asia and into the competitive markets of the Middle East and Africa.
The move follows a successful pilot program in Thailand, where GalaxySpace targeted remote regions plagued by weak terrestrial network infrastructure. In one instance, the company deployed a customized satellite internet solution for a nursing home in Rayong Province to facilitate real-time telemedicine. By providing stable video consultations between elderly residents and urban doctors, GalaxySpace claimed a symbolic victory by achieving the first overseas operational application of a Chinese satellite internet system ahead of Western competitors.
The global stakes for satellite internet are high, with an International Telecommunication Union report from late 2025 estimating that roughly 2.2 billion people remain offline. For Beijing, bridging this digital divide is more than a humanitarian goal; it is a vehicle for expanding its digital sovereignty. By integrating satellite internet into its Belt and Road diplomacy, China is positioning its space firms to provide the core communications backbone for developing nations.
GalaxySpace’s strategy relies on offering localized, bespoke solutions that contrast with the more standardized consumer-facing model of Starlink. In Thailand, the success of the telemedicine pilot has already led to multiple local partnerships, providing a template that the company now intends to replicate across Middle Eastern and African markets where infrastructure is sparse and the terrain is challenging.
The international expansion of Chinese commercial space firms carries significant security weight. As these companies export hardware and network management protocols, they embed Chinese technical standards into the national security infrastructure of host countries. For Western defense analysts, the concern is that commercial satellite networks could serve dual-use functions, providing Beijing with a pervasive sensor and communication network that operates outside the reach of Western oversight.
Furthermore, GalaxySpace is a central player in China's Two Autonomies mandate, which prioritizes the indigenous development of all critical space components. By securing international contracts, the firm is building the scale necessary to lower launch and production costs, further insulating China’s orbital infrastructure from Western sanctions.
As GalaxySpace moves into Turkey and toward Africa, the competition for the world’s orbital internet is no longer just a technical race between billionaires, but a geopolitical contest over who will control the data flow for the next billion users.