China Accuses US of Militarizing Space Amid Growing Tensions

China accused the United States of militarizing space after protesting the Taiwan Strait passage of a US Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft.

Col. Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry, condemned US efforts, including creating the Space Force as a new military branch, saying that they have had a detrimental effect on space security and global strategic stability, AP News reported.

Tan highlighted that China supports peaceful space exploration and opposes space weaponization, the use of space as a battlefield, and any space arms race.

Leaders of the Space Force voiced alarm about China's progress in space technology, which led to the Chinese Defense Ministry's reaction. China is working on a crewed moon trip and has an orbiting space station. In 2007, China was heavily criticized for destroying one of its aging weather satellites with a missile and producing a debris field that jeopardized other spacecraft.

Recent visits by US authorities, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, indicate that US-China relations remain tight. However, in reaction to possible US shipments of defensive weapons to Taiwan and sanctions placed on Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu, China has refused to resume military-to-military ties.

China Asserts Claim in Taiwan Strait

Even though the Taiwan Strait's waters and airspace are recognized as international, China nonetheless asserts its exclusive claim. It often sends out aircraft and warships to harass the island's military and scare its inhabitants because it views Taiwan, a vital ally of the United States, as its territory.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army's Eastern Theater Command stated that it had scrambled fighters to monitor the US aircraft crossing the Taiwan Strait, claiming national sovereignty and regional peace and stability as its missions, per a report from ABC 4.

According to the US Navy fleet, by operating in the Taiwan Strait in compliance with international law, the country is protecting the freedoms and rights of all nations to travel through the strait.

The US Navy said the aircraft's Taiwan Strait passage highlighted its commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The statement underscores that the US military flies, sails, and operates legally within international law.

US Military Space Race Plans

Meanwhile, the US Space Force's 2024 budget highlights the importance of resilience in space programs. The budget places a strong emphasis on ensuring American access to space and being able to react in the face of threats.

The Space Force sees China as the greatest urgent danger in the region and seeks to compete with space powers like China and Russia, according to Space News. Reports say Russia is building anti-space devices to destroy American satellites despite its inferior capabilities.

The Space Force's resilience policy ensures US military units and allies have ongoing satellite services. Its emphasis on adaptability shows the Space Force's dedication to preserving technical superiority and dissuading insurgents in space.

The Space Force's competitive endurance strategy is based on three guiding principles: avoiding surprise acts, eliminating the benefit of acting first, and carrying out responsible counter-space operations without leaving behind permanent space trash.

According to Lt. Gen. DeAnna Burt, the deputy head of space operations for cyber and nuclear affairs, if the plan is implemented, it will stop any crisis or war from spilling into space.