China's Emergency Sat Launch Vehicle Raises Eyebrows

[SQ8]

But the FT-1's 650 pound (max) payload is small,even a weather satellite might be 10 times as heavy.
Do you think emergency communication rockets would be lighter?

They may be lighter, but those communications rockets are essentially ballistic.. and operate for the limited time that their flight profile allows for. By contrast, a emergency sat may operate for days or weeks.