From one of military buddies: "A couple points to consider about the Chang'i 4 landing. One, China's space program is controlled by the Party and by their military. There is no civilian aspect to it.
Second, the southern and norther poles of the moon are critical for a number of reasons. One is that there is water there in the form of ice in the permanent shadow of deep craters. This water will be important for building permanent bases on the moon.
Third, the poles are important military positions because there are places at the poles that can always look down on the earth with sensors and weapons. China's landing at the southern pole at the Aiken Basin is a key military strategic achievement.
China plans to have a permanent military base on the moon within 15 years. This is another argument for our space force, to be able to protect military and potential future commercial interests in space."
