China warns US over ‘weaponization of space’

China has urged the United States to stop expanding its military capabilities and preparing for conflict in outer space after US officials confirmed the deployment of “on-orbit” space weapons.

China has urged the United States to stop expanding its military capabilities and preparing for conflict in outer space after US officials confirmed the deployment of “on-orbit” space weapons.

On Tuesday, Beijing called on Washington to halt what it described as the militarization and weaponization of outer space. The comments came after US Space Force officials said the United States had deployed “on-orbit” weapons capable of defending US and allied forces against hostile actions in space.

“The United States now has on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the joint force against hostile adversary action,” US Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said.

In a news briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun criticized the United States for expanding its military capabilities in space, warning that such actions could accelerate the weaponization of outer space and turn it into a battlefield.

“We urge the US side to stop expanding its military capabilities and preparing for war in outer space,” Guo said.

The US Space Force has identified China as a major security concern, citing Beijing’s military modernization efforts and the development of advanced space and counterspace capabilities. It has also identified Russia as a growing threat in the space domain.

US military officials have warned that both China and Russia are developing new counterspace capabilities designed to challenge or disrupt space-based systems.

China has also been developing advanced hypersonic weapons, including systems capable of traveling through partial orbital trajectories.

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty prohibits the placement of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in orbit around Earth. However, the treaty does not prohibit all conventional weapons or military activities in space, leaving countries room to develop and deploy other types of space-based military capabilities.