America forms greatest threat to safety in space
(MENAFN) Amid escalating tensions between the United States and China over the militarization of space, the Chinese military has fired back, asserting that Washington is leading a perilous push to weaponize the cosmos. Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang responded to recent United States warnings about China's purported increase in "anti-satellite weapons," emphasizing that it is the Pentagon, not Beijing, that is transforming space into a potential battlefield.
During a press briefing, Zhang criticized the United States for using alleged threats from other nations as a pretext to expand its military capabilities, firmly opposing such actions. He highlighted Washington's characterization of space as a "combat territory," pointing out its development and deployment of offensive space weapons. Zhang also accused the United States of engaging in malicious tracking and dangerously approaching other countries' spacecraft, heightening the risk of collisions with space objects.
In response to comments by United States Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, who has repeatedly emphasized the perceived threat from China's military advancements, Zhang contended that the United States poses the most significant driver of space militarization and battlefieldization. Kendall had recently warned that the risk of conflict with China is imminent, stating that the United States is running out of time to keep pace with Chinese forces.
As both nations engage in a war of words over space capabilities, the allegations and counter-allegations underscore the growing geopolitical competition in the space domain. The accusations from China shed light on the broader narrative of space becoming a contested arena for military activities, raising concerns about the potential consequences for global space security. The ongoing developments between the United States and China in this frontier amplify the need for international dialogue and agreements to prevent the further weaponization of space and ensure its peaceful use for the benefit of all nations.
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