China Confirms Anti-Satellite Missile Test

Amid Global Criticism, Beijing Says It Opposes The "Weaponization Of Space"

(AP)  China confirmed Tuesday it conducted an anti-satellite weapons test, nearly two weeks after the event alarmed the world and prompted questions about Beijing's motives.

Both Washington and Tokyo have expressed concern over the Jan. 11 test in which China used a missile to shoot down one of its own old weather satellites. Both countries criticized the test as a step toward militarizing outer space and demanded explanations from Beijing.

In China's first public comment about the test, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said Beijing has shown a "responsible attitude" by offering explanations to the U.S. and Japan and insisted Beijing has all along "upheld the peaceful use of outer space."

"China opposes the weaponization of space and any arms race," Liu said, adding it has never and will not participate in any outer space arms race.

"The test is not targeted at any country and will not threaten any country," he said at a regular briefing.

Liu offered no explanation why China had not commented earlier on the test, which was likely carried out under the auspices of its highly secretive, military-dominated space program.

The U.S. administration said it detected the test but kept it secret for a week while it weighed its significance. It was first reported in Aviation Week magazine last week.

Japan, Britain and Australia among other countries also were concerned that debris caused by the test could scatter and strike other satellites orbiting the earth.

Because China's weather satellites would travel at about the same altitude as U.S. spy satellites, analysts also said the test represented an indirect threat to U.S. defense systems.

Foreign Ministry officials told U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill about the test in a weekend meeting in Beijing.

Hill, who heads the State Department's East Asia bureau, told the Chinese they should be more transparent about their military activities and their defense budget to "avoid any sort of misunderstandings, not only with the United States, but other countries around the world," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Monday in Washington.

The Defense Department and President George W. Bush's National Security Council declined to comment on the announcement Tuesday.

China is listed as a country of highest concern for the United States, along with North Korea and Iran, in potential for development of weapons of mass destruction.

While Beijing has worked with the United States to induce Pyongyang to dismantle its nuclear weapons program, it also maintains cordial diplomatic and trade relations with some of the world's most repressive countries including Sudan, Zimbabwe and Myanmar.

The test also comes as ties between Japan and China remain precarious because of ongoing disputes over territorial issues, use of maritime resources and interpretations of wartime history.

Chinese military modernization has been a key security concern in Japan, a top U.S. ally in Asia.

Beijing has repeatedly pledged peaceful development of its army — the world's largest — but has caused unease among its neighbors by announcing double-digit military spending increases nearly every year since the early 1990s.

It has spent heavily on beefing up its arsenal with submarines, jet fighters and other high-tech weapons.

A report issued last month by the State Council, China's cabinet, said the Air Force was giving priority to the development of new fighters as well as air and missile defense weapons.

[thgdriver]

Just kidding with my last post---I think.


Well, you have to admit it, they started something and now we have to defend against it. And the beat goes on, the beat goes on.

[thgdriver]

How do you know all that stuff you buy from them does not have some kind of homing device implanted to guide their missiles right into your living room?

[Syndicate]

The Russians learned not to trust anything that was stolen from us. Reagan had a bug inserted into a piece of software the Soviets really wanted for one of thier natrual gas pumping stations. It blew up. Supposedly the largest man made non nuclear explosion on record.

[Syndicate]

The Chineese purchased all their space assets from the Russians. Its easy to catch up to our level of technology. All they have to do is steal it. This is how the Russians got nuclear weapons. A lot of the russian aircraft technology comes from captured and reverse engineered American bombers. All through the cold war they copied everything. Have you ever seen the Russian Space Shuttle? We have lots of things no one knows about for these reasons. I don't have direct knowledge of anything good. But I know where we were 30 years ago and where we should be logicly. I remember a quote from one of the guys at the skunk works. "We have stuff 50 years ahead of its time." I can only assume this is some sort of space plane.

[kphx]

Only US can have these technologies. How come the Chinese are catching up with US. Can't let that happen.

Only we need to be the bullies running amok in the international stage.

[Syndicate]

They are just giving lip service. They oppose the weaponization of space yet build space weapons. What constitutes the weaponization of space? is GPS a space weapon? What about pentagon com sats are they weapons? Is a floating mirror a space weapon? Yea that would be. What about a suborbital bomber? I actually would like to see this one because it would be able to be converted to a passenger spaceplane. I'm not worried about China. We have toys too, but no one gets to see them.

[karlimhof]

"China opposes the weaponization of space and any arms race," well that's clear enough...you (US) put any weapons up there and we'll shot them down!

[karlimhof]

The chinese hit an old weather bird around 800km above the earth. Our GPS birds at about 20kg up. This was only their 3rd try and it was sussessful. The message is clear - China refutes the Bush claim on outer space as America's exclusive "playground". With reason, the rest of the world will applaud China's action, which speak louder then any words from Bush Neocon Clan.

[cbs_oliver]

My understanding is that the US carried out similar successful satellite intercept tests in 1985 - and presumably has carried out additional more advanced tests since.

[nwihoosier]

To: jh6379
Actions speak louder than words, you dolt.

[fallngempire]

Gee, you think?

[canaima]

D'oh, Rafterman!

[rafterman1]

"The test is not targeted at any country and will not threaten any country"...Because China's weather satellites would travel at about the same altitude as U.S. spy satellites...indirect threat to U.S. defense systems."

Me thinks China is sending a message to the US.