Beijing said the move could increase the risk of an arms race in outer space. China has warned the US against expanding its military presence in space after Washington publicly acknowledged that the US Space Force has operational weapons in orbit.
Because the US had not previously publicly acknowledged that operational weapons were deployed in orbit, the announcement is important.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing has always supported the peaceful use of outer space and the protection of space security. Guo said China opposes any arms race in space, attempts to weaponise space, or efforts to turn space into a battlefield. He said Washington should take concrete steps to protect global strategic stability. The Chinese warning came just one day after US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said that the US Space Force now has weapons in orbit that can respond to threats from rival countries, according to The Express Tribune. He said the US needs to stay prepared for growing threats wherever they appear, including in space. Meink said the Space Force has “on-orbit space control weapons” that are capable of protecting US military forces from hostile actions by adversaries, as noted by The Express Tribune. Meink later told reporters that the decision to publicly acknowledge the weapons was deliberate. He said the wording used by the military had been carefully chosen to strengthen US deterrence. Meink said revealing more details could actually weaken that deterrence. Meink said the US would not discuss whether the systems had been tested, what they had been tested against, or other operational details, according to The Express Tribune. Meink said the US wants to make sure it can operate freely in space even when facing threats. Meink said the US has taken steps to make sure it can respond if it is threatened in space.
Guo directly called on the US to stop expanding its military buildup in outer space. The new statement confirms that Washington has moved beyond simply developing or testing counter-space capabilities. However, Meink did not reveal when the weapons became operational. He also refused to explain exactly what the weapons can do. He argued that the US does not want to tell potential rivals exactly what its space weapons can do. He also refused to say whether the weapons have already been tested. He also stressed that maintaining US dominance in space remains a major military priority. This shows that Washington sees space not only as an area for peaceful satellite operations but also as an important part of future military competition.
Meink made the announcement at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference on Monday.
