# ITU

China’s 200,000‑Satellite Gambit: Racing to Lock the Orbits

China’s late‑2025 ITU filing for approximately 203,000 low‑ and medium‑orbit satellites has jolted the global space sector, prompting rapid reactions from incumbents and regulators. The move underscores a strategic race for finite orbital slots and spectrum that will shape 6G, national security and the economics of space for decades.