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China Calls on US To Halt Expansion of Weapons in Space
(MENAFN) China called on the United States Tuesday to stop expanding its military presence in outer space after Washington publicly confirmed for the first time that the US has operational weapons deployed in orbit.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing opposes efforts to turn space into a battlefield and urged Washington to take steps aimed at maintaining international strategic stability.
"China has long been committed to the peaceful use of outer space and safeguarding the security in space. We oppose any arms race in outer space or any attempts to weaponize it or turn it into a war zone," Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing.
"We urge the US to stop expanding military buildup in outer space and safeguard global strategic stability with concrete actions," Guo said.
The comments followed remarks by US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, who said Monday that the US Space Force now possesses operational weapons in orbit designed to respond to potential threats from adversaries.
"We continue to ensure we remain ready to meet the challenge of evolving threats wherever they exist," Meink said at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference.
"This is why the Space Force now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action," he added.
Meink, whose department oversees both the Air Force and Space Force, did not provide details on when the systems became operational or explain their specific capabilities. He also declined to say whether the weapons involve kinetic impactors, directed-energy systems, electronic warfare or cyber capabilities.
The secretary later said the decision to publicly acknowledge the weapons was intentional, explaining that the terminology used in the announcement had been "very well thought out" as part of efforts to strengthen military deterrence.
"Talking about the details of what we're doing would actually not benefit that deterrence," Meink said.
“We're not going to talk about the specifics of what we're doing, whether we've tested, not tested, or anything else. I would just say that the space environment is critical for military and economic security, and we need to make sure that the US can operate freely there.”
"It is critically important that we maintain our dominance, not only in the air but in space," he added. “So, we've had to take steps to make sure that when we're threatened, we can take care of that.”
The disclosure comes as competition between the United States, China and Russia in space continues to intensify, with all three countries developing technologies and capabilities designed to counter potential threats to satellites and other space-based assets.
International restrictions on weapons in space remain limited. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty prohibits the deployment of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in orbit, but it does not explicitly prohibit conventional weapons from being stationed in space.
Security specialists have warned that the US disclosure could prompt rival powers to accelerate development of their own counter-space and orbital weapon systems. Such developments could further increase military competition in a domain that has become essential to communications, navigation, intelligence collection and military operations.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing opposes efforts to turn space into a battlefield and urged Washington to take steps aimed at maintaining international strategic stability.
"China has long been committed to the peaceful use of outer space and safeguarding the security in space. We oppose any arms race in outer space or any attempts to weaponize it or turn it into a war zone," Guo Jiakun told reporters in Beijing.
"We urge the US to stop expanding military buildup in outer space and safeguard global strategic stability with concrete actions," Guo said.
The comments followed remarks by US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink, who said Monday that the US Space Force now possesses operational weapons in orbit designed to respond to potential threats from adversaries.
"We continue to ensure we remain ready to meet the challenge of evolving threats wherever they exist," Meink said at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference.
"This is why the Space Force now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action," he added.
Meink, whose department oversees both the Air Force and Space Force, did not provide details on when the systems became operational or explain their specific capabilities. He also declined to say whether the weapons involve kinetic impactors, directed-energy systems, electronic warfare or cyber capabilities.
The secretary later said the decision to publicly acknowledge the weapons was intentional, explaining that the terminology used in the announcement had been "very well thought out" as part of efforts to strengthen military deterrence.
"Talking about the details of what we're doing would actually not benefit that deterrence," Meink said.
“We're not going to talk about the specifics of what we're doing, whether we've tested, not tested, or anything else. I would just say that the space environment is critical for military and economic security, and we need to make sure that the US can operate freely there.”
"It is critically important that we maintain our dominance, not only in the air but in space," he added. “So, we've had to take steps to make sure that when we're threatened, we can take care of that.”
The disclosure comes as competition between the United States, China and Russia in space continues to intensify, with all three countries developing technologies and capabilities designed to counter potential threats to satellites and other space-based assets.
International restrictions on weapons in space remain limited. The 1967 Outer Space Treaty prohibits the deployment of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in orbit, but it does not explicitly prohibit conventional weapons from being stationed in space.
Security specialists have warned that the US disclosure could prompt rival powers to accelerate development of their own counter-space and orbital weapon systems. Such developments could further increase military competition in a domain that has become essential to communications, navigation, intelligence collection and military operations.
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