There will also be the defence of commercial interests to consider. For centuries we have seen how the flag follows the trade. A recent example on Earth is the 2022 agreement between China and the Solomon Islands, by which if Chinese interests on the islands are endangered (as they were during the 2021 riots that targeted Chinese property and people) Chinese government ‘forces’ can come to their aid. States will take similar views of their commercial enterprises in space – the flag will follow the trade.
