China Warns U.S. Golden Dome Could Ignite Dangerous Outer Space Arms Race
Chinese defense official warns U.S. space-based weapons expansion could trigger a dangerous new arms race in orbit.
The deployment of the so-called Golden Dome system by the United States, as well as ongoing initiatives to station weapons in outer space, have come under sharp criticism from Chinese officials this week. During a Thursday press conference in Beijing, Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, warned that these moves pose a significant threat to the fragile balance of power beyond the Earth's atmosphere.
Zhang emphasized that U.S. actions directly challenge the core principles of the Outer Space Treaty, an international agreement designed to prevent the militarization of space and ensure its peaceful use for all humanity. "The U.S. actions will once again open the Pandora's box," Zhang stated pointedly, cautioning that such activities could accelerate the risk of a full-scale arms race in outer space—a scenario that would have unpredictable and potentially catastrophic consequences for global security.
According to Zhang, no country has done more than the United States to transform space into a potential battlefield. He accused Washington of taking steps that fundamentally alter the nature of space from a domain of peaceful cooperation to one of military confrontation. This move, he argued, not only endangers international stability but also undermines the trust built up among space-faring nations over past decades.
China has called on the United States to halt its expansion of military capabilities in outer space and to engage in meaningful actions aimed at preserving worldwide strategic stability. "We urge the U.S. side to stop expanding its military build-up in space and to take concrete actions to uphold global strategic stability," Zhang asserted, highlighting Beijing’s position that only mutual restraint and dialogue can prevent an escalation of tensions in the final frontier.
The heightened rhetoric reflects broadening international anxiety over the prospect of a new era of competition in space, where technological advancements have outpaced diplomatic safeguards. The situation remains tense as officials and experts debate how best to prevent the weaponization of space and maintain it as a realm reserved for peaceful purposes.
