China on Friday unveiled a position paper on strengthening outer space governance, prioritizing efforts to prevent an arms race in space.
– “The achievements of outer space exploration should benefit all countries,” said the paper, warning that the existing international legal framework for outer space lags behind rapid advances in space science and technology and their widespread applications.
– “The risk of an arms race in outer space and the trend of turning outer space into a new theater of conflict have become the gravest threat and challenge to space security,” it said. “Strengthening global space governance is an urgent issue for humanity and the shared responsibility of all States.”
– China advocates that countries take the common values of humanity as their fundamental guide, uphold sovereign equality, abide by international law, practice multilateralism, and pursue a people-centered, action-oriented approach, said the paper.
– It also urged a balanced approach to outer space development and security, as well as stability and sustainability, with the aim of building a community with a shared future in space for the benefit of all humanity.
– The paper’s release comes after US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink told a defense conference last month that the US Space Force has “on-orbit space control weapons” capable of defending American forces against hostile action.
– China urged countries to commit to openness and shared benefit, ensure equitable access to outer space, promote space research and technological innovation, respect all states’ rights and security interests, oppose offensive military policies, and prevent an arms race.
– It also called for abiding by the international rule of law, safeguarding common security, greater transparency to reduce misunderstandings, the regulation of commercial space activities, deeper international cooperation, and the UN remaining the main channel for global space governance.
– The paper called for equitable, non-discriminatory access to outer space and opposed activities threatening other states’ sovereignty, security, and development, adding that the principle of refraining from the threat or use of force in international relations and preventing the threat or use of force against outer space objects should be reaffirmed to avoid armed conflict in outer space.
– Separately, China on Friday also launched a remote sensing satellite from the Taiyuan Satellite Launch Center in north China’s Shanxi Province, according to the state-run Xinhua news agency.
– It will mainly be used for land survey and estimating crop yields, as well as disaster prevention and relief.