Early China military spaceflight projects

[limen4]

In 2011 China issued the autobiographies of the father of china rocketry and spaceflight Qian Xuesen under the title “Qian Aerospace Years” (ISBN: 9787515901060). On few pages for the first time details of early P.R.China military space projects were revealed. They have been part of the fourth Five-Year-Plan (1971-1975), which was adopted in 1970. None of the projects has ever been come into reality and it is unclear if hardware has ever been produced. The following projects have been mentioned by Qian.

Reconnaissance satellites:
Red Guards 1 (红卫兵一号): Visible photographic satellite (to be launched in 1971)
Red Guards 2 (红卫兵二号): Infrared light photographic satellite (to be launched 1972)
Red Guards 3 (红卫兵三号): Electronic transmission photographic  satellite.(to be launched in 1973-1974)
Navigation satellites:
Lighthouse 1(灯塔一号). Submarine VHF navigation satellite
Lighthouse 2(灯塔二号) Submarine ultra-long wave navigation satellite
Communication satellites:
Red News Soldiers 1 (红讯兵一号): Navy communications satellite.
Red News Soldiers 2 (红讯兵二号): Synchronous orbit strategic communications satellite.
Red News Soldiers 3 (红讯兵三号): Ion propulsion, high-capacity synchronous orbit communications satellite.
Manned spacecraft:
Supremely strong  1 (千钧棒一号):  Reconnaissance spacecraft (for 2,3 or 5 astronauts)
Supremely strong  2 (千钧棒二号):  Fighter spacecraft (for 2,3 or 5 astronauts)
Launch vehicles:
East Wind-6 (东风六号):  6 tons of load (to be launched in 1971 or 1972)
Long March-10 (长征十号) 50-150 tons load (to be launched in 1975)

[Liss]

Interesting enough, the photo recon satellite name chosen was Hongweibing.
Don't think it's 1970 -- it was a buzzword in 1966 and 1967.

In a source I checked -- yes, I don't know Chinese so that's a corrected Google translate -- they say that

1968年，国防科委五院成立，负责空间技术研究抓总工作，拟定国家空间研制规划，组织航天器战术、技术论证，组织实施和协调，负责卫星、飞船研制。两张纸披露了五院的研制规划，应该从1966年5月制定的《发展中国人造卫星事业的十年规划》充实而来。

In 1968, the Defense Science and Technology Committee established Fifth Academy responsible for Space Technology research catch total work, the development of national space research and planning, spacecraft tactical organization, technology demonstration, organization and implementation and coordination responsible for satellites, spacecraft development.
Two paper disclosed the Fifth academy Development Planning, should start in May 1966 to develop a "Decade of development of China's satellite business plan" enriched from.

[limen4]

Yes, some of the military spaceflight projects seems to have been already started before 1970. For instance some sources says that the navigational satellite project goes back to a decision of the PLA in 1968. So the establishment of the 5th academy could be a starting point for many of the projects mentioned by Qian.

[plutogno]

In 2011 China issued the autobiographies of the father of china rocketry and spaceflight Qian Xuesen under the title “Qian Aerospace Years” (ISBN: 9787515901060). On few pages for the first time details of early P.R.China military space projects were revealed.

wow! interesting!
any info on early (robotic or otherwise) lunar/deep space missions? we know that some were studied during the 1960s and 70s, but we have no details