China's commercial space sector is experiencing explosive growth, with nearly 300 companies showcasing end-to-end capabilities at a major international exhibition in Beijing this January—demonstrating how private enterprise is transforming access to space.

Exhibitors said many of the products and services have already transformed the way people live and work.

"We have completed 21 successful launches with the CERES-1 carrier rocket, placing 87 commercial satellites into their designated orbits," said Wu Yue, public relations director of Galactic Energy.

"Satellites have been applied to agriculture, forestry, water, soil, urban environment and disaster relief, including agricultural yield estimation, pest and disease monitoring, flood control, and infrastructure monitoring," said Hao Xuetao, chief scientist of Zhongke Xingtu.

"We have achieved high-speed communication connections between mobile phones and satellites, which means that people can stay connected no matter where they are on Earth," said Huang Heping, general manager of international business development at GALAXYSPACE.

Interstellar Glory Aerospace Science and Technology (iSpace), which was established 10 years ago, has already set up research and development, production, and testing bases across China, including in Wenchang City in south China's Hainan Province, Mianyang City in southwest China's Sichuan Province, and Beijing.

Peng Xiaobo, chairman and general manager of iSpace, attributed the company's expansion largely to the Chinese government's support and favorable market environment.

"Possibly because we have larger plans, abundant talent, a complete supply chain, and easy-to-find supporting products based on China's current industrial system, we have got strong support from the national strategic level to the local government level. The overall social recognition and enthusiasm are also high, which creates very favorable conditions," said Peng.

For strategic emerging industries, the initial research and development costs are enormous, and achieving large-scale commercialization often takes a long time.

To address the challenges, the Chinese government has strengthened top-level design and institutional arrangements to promote the rapid development of the commercial space industry.

The Chinese government has incorporated commercial spaceflight into its national strategic plan and overall space strategy, and established the commercial space department to coordinate industry management and simplify launch approval processes.

It has opened up national research projects, encouraging commercial space entities to participate in major national space projects, and sharing large-scale facilities, such as national civilian tracking and control stations, engine test stands, and space-environment simulation equipment, with various market players.

It built a dedicated commercial launch site in Hainan's Wenchang.

More than 20 provinces and municipalities have already issued over 40 industrial policies related to the development of commercial spaceflight.

Experts said the government policies have laid a solid foundation for the development of China's commercial space industry.

"The country is dedicated to long-term investment, providing support for core links in the industrial chain of commercial aerospace and low-altitude economy, to better adapt to the requirements of these strategic emerging industries, which feature long cycles, large early-stage investments, and high uncertainties," said Tian Xuan, deputy to National People's Congress (NPC) and Boya Distinguished Professor at Peking University.

"Through national strategic guidance and top-level design, our scientific and technological innovation work can grasp the direction and key areas of industrial development and make forward-looking plans. The government's strong support for basic research investment, early technology development, and innovation platform construction has enabled the innovation entities of the 'effective market' to thrive and resources to be allocated efficiently and accurately," said Li Zhichao, deputy to the National People's Congress (NPC) and chief science and technology expert at China South Industries Group Corporation (CSGC).