China calls for US to ‘stop preparing for war in outer space’

China has urged the United States to cease expanding its military capabilities and preparing for conflict in outer space, following the US Space Force's confirmation that it has deployed weapons into orbit for the first time. According to Beijing and Washington's ongoing rivalry, both nations have been vying to strengthen their presence and strategic influence in space.

The US Space Force announced on Monday that it had deployed on-orbit space control weapons designed to defend against hostile adversary actions, though it did not disclose further details. In response, China's foreign ministry spokesman, Guo Jiakun, warned against weaponizing outer space, turning it into a battlefield, and sparking an arms race in this domain.

The ministry spokesman stated that China expects the US side to refrain from expanding its military might and preparing for war in outer space. The US Space Force specifically identified China as a threat, highlighting Beijing's development and utilization of space and counterspace capabilities as part of its military modernization strategy.

Russia was also named as a geopolitical rival, believed to consider space supremacy as a decisive factor in future conflicts. The militarization of space has been an issue since the inception of the space race in 1957 when the Soviet Union launched the world's first artificial satellite, Sputnik, into orbit. While initial concerns centered around nuclear weapons in space, the Outer Space Treaty of 1967 prohibited weapons of mass destruction in orbit.

Since then, the United States, China, Russia, and India have explored alternative means of warfare in space, targeting rivals' satellites crucial for military communications, surveillance, and navigation, despite being bound by the Outer Space Treaty.