BEIJING — Amid a freeze in military-to-military contacts, China is accusing the United States of militarizing outer house, a day after it protested the passage of a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine plane by way of the Taiwan Strait.
Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Col. Tan Kefei mentioned on Friday that U.S. actions, together with the institution of the Space Force in 2019 as the latest department of the navy, have “had a great negative impact on space security and global strategic stability.”
“In recent years, the United States has accelerated the militarization of space,” Tan mentioned. “I would like to reiterate here that China adheres to the peaceful use of space, firmly opposes the weaponization and the making of space into a battlefield, and opposes any form of arms race in space.”
The ministry mentioned that Tan was responding to latest issues expressed by Space Force leaders over China’s rising capabilities, calling that “classic cognitive dissonance.” China’s advances in house embrace its personal orbiting house station and plans for a crewed lunar mission. In 2007, it confronted worldwide condemnation after utilizing a missile to explode certainly one of its defunct climate satellites, leaving a discipline of particles that continues to threaten different objects in orbit.
While the U.S. has despatched officers to Beijing together with Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, ties stay at a historic low. China has pointedly refused to reestablish contact between the 2 militaries, probably as a protest in opposition to U.S. gross sales of defensive weaponry to Taiwan and sanctions in opposition to Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu.
Although it’s acknowledged as worldwide waters and airspace and capabilities as an important route for worldwide commerce, China continues to say a proprietary position over the Taiwan Strait that separates the mainland from the self-governing island democracy.
China regards shut U.S. ally Taiwan as its personal territory to be annexed by pressure if essential, and commonly sends planes and warships to harass the island’s navy and seeks to intimidate its 23 million residents.
On Thursday, the Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army – whose space of operations faces Taiwan – mentioned it had scrambled fighters to “follow and monitor the U.S. plane throughout the process and dealt with it in accordance with laws and regulations.”
Theater spokesperson Col. Shi Yi was quoted as saying on social media, “theater troops maintain a high level of alert at all times and will resolutely defend national sovereignty and security along with regional peace and stability.”
The U.S. seventh Fleet mentioned a Navy P-8A Poseidon transited the Taiwan Strait in worldwide airspace on Thursday.
“By operating within the Taiwan Strait in accordance with international law, the United States upholds the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations,” the fleet mentioned on its web site.
“The aircraft’s transit of the Taiwan Strait demonstrates the United States’ commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The United States military flies, sails and operates anywhere international law allows.”
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