Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told a press briefing on Tuesday that Beijing opposed the weaponisation of outer space and urged the United States to stop expanding its military build‑up in orbit, citing the need to uphold global strategic stability.
The call came after U.S. Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink confirmed on Monday that the United States possesses “on‑orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action,” the strongest admission yet by a Pentagon official of U.S. weapons in space. Meink did not disclose the specific systems.
China’s state‑backed Global Times described the disclosure as evidence of Washington’s pursuit of “space hegemony” and warned it could fuel a worldwide space arms race. Military analyst Song Zhongping added that the U.S. shift from protecting space assets with ground‑based counter‑space systems to deploying weapons in orbit could force other countries to respond.
Last week, Xinhua reported that Washington’s push to weaponise space risks creating a “security dilemma,” compelling other nations to strengthen counter‑space capabilities that the United States would then view as new threats.
China’s message underscores growing tensions over space as a new frontier for military competition. The international community will be watching closely to see whether Washington follows through on its commitments to space stability or accelerates its orbital armament programme.
