China calls out the recently devised U.S. Space Force as a “direct threat to outer space peace and security.”
According to ABC News, Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told reporters China is “Deeply concerned about it and resolutely opposed to it.”
“The relevant U.S. actions are a serious violation of the international consensus on the peaceful use of outer space, undermine global strategic balance and stability, and pose a direct threat to outer space peace and security,” Geng said at a regular briefing.
China Space Program
China’s space program first launched in 2003 and has progressed quickly in the last decade. Last February, the United States Pentagon claimed China and Russia had begun significant efforts to develop technology that could disrupt American satellites in a crisis or military conflict. In fact, in 2007, China launched a missile strike against one of its satellites, creating a large amount of space debris. Geng ignored the previously mentioned concerns saying they are “unfounded counter-charges,” which were provided with justification to the United States. Geng continues by saying the weaponization of space, and international treaties about space need to be negotiated.
“We hope that the international community, especially the major powers concerned, will adopt a cautious and responsible attitude to prevent outer space from becoming a new battlefield and work together to maintain lasting peace and tranquility in outer space,” he said.
What is Space Force?
The United States created Space Force as a way to effectively organize the defense of United States interest in space, including but not limited to satellites for navigation and communication. The Space Force was not created to launch troops in space.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper told reporters on Friday Space has “evolved into a war-fighting domain of its own.”
Much of the American economy relies on technology in space, including the Global Positioning System (GPS), which provides navigation services than civilians. China has launched a similar network of a satellite called the BeiDou Navigation Satellite System, created from 42 separate satellite launches.