China Demands U.S. Halt Space Weaponization

Beijing has responded to Washington’s announcement that its new satellite jammers will be in operational service in 2025

China’s Foreign Ministry has called on the United States to stop militarizing space and avoid actions that could endanger global security. This warning comes just days after Washington announced plans to deploy satellite jammers.

During a Monday press conference, ministry spokesman Lin Jian stated that Beijing advocates for the peaceful use of outer space and opposes arms races and the deployment of weapons in space.

“China once again urges the US to stop spreading irresponsible remarks, stop expanding military build-up in outer space, and make due contribution to upholding the lasting peace and security in outer space,” Lin said, when asked about China’s response to the potential threat to its satellites posed by US ground-based jammers.

The spokesman emphasized that China has no intention of participating in a space race with any country and is not seeking space superiority. He also pointed out that Washington openly designates space as a war zone, continues to enhance its space capabilities, and is working towards establishing a military alliance in outer space.

Last week, Bloomberg reported, citing the US Space Force, that the initial five of a planned 32 weapons designed to disrupt Chinese and Russian satellites in the early stages of a potential conflict could be declared operational between January and March 2025. The Counter Communications System known as Meadowlands is more than two years behind schedule.

This type of technological weaponry is intended to cause temporary damage in a conflict “to counter the growing number of Chinese and Russian space systems,” the news agency noted.

The Pentagon has repeatedly accused China of amassing anti-satellite weapons, expressing concerns about the country’s focus on space warfare capabilities. The Chinese government has refuted these claims, arguing that Washington poses the greatest threat to security in space and is the main instigator behind the militarization of various domains.

Washington has made similar accusations against Russia on numerous occasions, suggesting that Moscow possesses undisclosed anti-satellite capabilities that, it claims, are potentially nuclear in nature. The Kremlin has dismissed these insinuations as baseless, stating that they are merely a smokescreen aimed at diverting attention from Washington’s own military activities in space.