China states its opposition to an arms race in space

BEIJING -- Beijing insisted yesterday that it was opposed to an arms race in space after Japan and Britain joined a chorus of concern over a satellite-killing missile test by China -- the first known experiment of its type in more than 20 years.

The United States said China used a ground-based ballistic missile to shoot apart an aging weather satellite on Jan. 11, scattering debris that could damage other satellites and raising risks of escalating military rivalry in space.

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman declined to confirm or deny the incident, but said Beijing wanted no arms race in space.

"I can't say anything about the reports. I really don't know; I've only seen the foreign reports," Liu Jianchao said.

"What I can say is that, as a matter of principle, China advocates the peaceful use of space and opposes the weaponization of space, and also opposes any form of arms race," he said.

US concerns were quickly echoed by Australia and Canada, and then yesterday by Japan, which has become increasingly concerned about its giant neighbor's rising military strength. Tokyo is trying to mend fences broken by disputes with China over their wartime history, competition for resources, and regional influence .

"We are concerned about it firstly from the point of view of peaceful use of space and secondly from the safety perspective," Yasuhisa Shiozaki, Japan's chief Cabinet secretary, told a news conference.