US-China Conflict Spreading to Space

[Asia Economy Reporter Yujin Cho] The Chinese government strongly protested to the United Nations over an incident where SpaceX's Starlink satellites, led by Elon Musk, nearly collided with China's space station (Tiangong). China condemned it as a violation of the 1967 "Outer Space Treaty" and urged the United States to take responsible measures. The US-China conflict, which has been escalating over issues such as the Taiwan matter and the diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics, appears to be extending into space.

(Photo by Xinhua News Agency)

According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on the 28th (local time), Zhao Lijian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated at a regular briefing that "SpaceX's Starlink satellites approached the Chinese space station in July and October of this year, and China conducted avoidance maneuvers by changing the orbit of the space station to prevent a collision."

Spokesperson Zhao also revealed belatedly that on the 3rd, the Chinese government sent a letter of protest to the UN Secretary-General expressing strong regret that the United States is not fulfilling its obligations under the Outer Space Treaty. In this diplomatic letter, the Chinese government demanded, "During the two near-collision incidents, astronauts were on board, posing a threat to their safety," and called on "all parties to the Outer Space Treaty to be reminded of their responsibilities regarding space activities."

The Outer Space Treaty, concluded in 1967, stipulates that no country can own outer space or celestial bodies, and that space exploration and utilization must be conducted peacefully for the benefit of all countries.

Zhao harshly criticized, "While the United States emphasizes responsibility for space activities to other countries, it itself ignores the obligations of the Outer Space Treaty and poses a serious threat to the safety of astronauts. This is a typical double standard." He emphasized that the US must take responsible measures to prevent recurrence.

There is also growing criticism within China. On Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter, posts flooded in saying, "Starlink is nothing but a pile of space debris," "Starlink satellites have become American weapons threatening Chinese astronauts," and "The dangers of Starlink are gradually becoming apparent, and all humanity will soon pay the price for Musk's space business."

SpaceX, founded by Musk, is promoting the Starlink satellite network project, which aims to launch 42,000 small low-earth orbit satellites to build ultra-high-speed internet service available worldwide. Since 2019, it has sent more than 16,000 satellites into space and plans to launch about 30,000 more.

Foreign media have evaluated that the US and China, engaged in an all-out conflict over the Taiwan issue and the diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Winter Olympics, are also preparing for war in space. As China accelerates its space ambitions with the construction of its independent space station Tiangong, the US is also intensifying its space capabilities, led by SpaceX, making the US-China space rivalry fierce.

China announced plans to send astronauts to the moon by 2030 once the Tiangong space station is completed in 2022. Having succeeded in lunar and Mars exploration beyond the space station, China is rapidly catching up with the US and became the third country in the world, after the US and Russia, to successfully collect lunar samples at the end of last year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.