Violating the Principles of Peaceful Use, Escalating Arms Race Risks: The U.S. "Weaponization of Outer Space" Trends Alarm Multiple Parties

[Global Times Report, Journalists Fan Wei and Liu Xin] According to the U.S. Air Force Magazine website, on the 14th local time, U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall confirmed during a meeting that the country possesses "space control weapons" in orbit. The Washington Post stated, "This is the first time the U.S. has acknowledged its offensive capabilities in space." Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian stated at a regular press conference on the 15th: "We urge the U.S. to stop expanding its military presence in outer space and to take concrete actions to maintain global strategic stability." Relevant experts interviewed by Global Times reporters indicated that the U.S. has clearly defined its direction towards "weaponization of outer space," which could potentially drive a global arms race in outer space and increase the likelihood of direct military conflict in that domain.

U.S. Space Weapons May Have "Both Offensive and Defensive Capabilities"

According to reports from U.S. Defense News and Air Force Magazine, Kendall revealed during a meeting of the Air Force Association in Maryland on the 14th that "the U.S. now possesses space control weapons in orbit that can protect U.S. forces from hostile attacks," adding, "This is important from a deterrence perspective." In the Q&A session following his speech, Kendall did not provide detailed information about the U.S. military's space weapons, including specific types of weapons and deployment scale. However, he mentioned that he intentionally referred to space weapons in his speech, and his wording was "well thought out."

An anonymous U.S. official told The Washington Post that this "new capability" may include the ability to destroy enemy satellites attacking U.S. satellites. An expert researching military applications in outer space stated to the BBC on the 15th that the U.S. may possess "a range of different weapon systems." Bowen, an expert from the Royal United Services Institute, said he was "completely guessing" — the weapons referred to by the U.S. might be "some form of electronic warfare or radio jamming platform."

Military expert Song Zhongping stated in an interview with Global Times reporters on the 15th that, based on the above reports, the space weapons deployed by the U.S. military should have both offensive and defensive attributes. Previous public information indicated that the U.S. is developing a space combat system that may include some successfully developed weapons and equipment, such as the X-37B spaceplane, which is believed to be capable of capturing enemy satellites and attacking their spacecraft, and even conducting ground strikes if necessary. Meanwhile, the Pentagon has also commissioned SpaceX to upgrade the "Star Shield" military satellite system.

Additionally, U.S. President Trump announced the development plan for the "Iron Dome" space-based missile defense system in May last year. Trump stated at the time that the "Iron Dome" would integrate with the U.S.'s existing missile defense capabilities and, once fully operational, would be able to intercept missiles launched from other parts of the world, including space, with the entire system costing about $175 billion. He claimed that the system was planned to be "fully operational" within three years. In April of this year, the U.S. Space Force announced contracts with 12 companies, including SpaceX and Lockheed Martin, to develop space-based interceptors capable of intercepting missiles as part of the "Iron Dome" system.

The necessity of the U.S. "Iron Dome" program and its impact on international security and arms control systems have raised widespread concerns. A spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry previously stated that this plan aims to build a global, multi-layered, and multi-domain missile defense system that is unconstrained. The plan openly proposes a significant increase in outer space combat capabilities, including the development and deployment of orbital interception systems, which has a strong offensive nature, violates the principles of peaceful use advocated by the Outer Space Treaty, and will exacerbate the militarization of outer space and the risks of an arms race, undermining international security and arms control systems.

"This move will undoubtedly worsen the global security situation"

Li Bin, a visiting researcher at Tsinghua University's Center for Strategic and Security Studies and a professor in the Department of International Relations, stated to Global Times reporters on the 15th that the U.S. move will undoubtedly worsen the global security situation, "This trend is not just 'militarization of outer space,' but rather blatant 'weaponization of outer space'."

According to Agence France-Presse, the U.S. confirmation of possessing space control weapons in orbit increases the risk of an arms race in outer space and signifies that major countries' development of outer space-related capabilities may enter a new phase. This process is driven by technological advancements but lacks a comprehensive legal framework.

The Outer Space Treaty stipulates that each signatory country is obligated not to place nuclear weapons or other types of weapons of mass destruction in orbit around the Earth, nor to place such weapons on celestial bodies or in outer space in any other manner. However, Li Bin stated that there are no clear regulations in existing international treaties regarding the deployment of conventional weapons in outer space.

"Previously, countries exercised restraint regarding the 'deployment of outer space weapons,' but in recent years, the U.S. has accelerated its pace on the path of 'weaponization of outer space,' undermining the tacit understanding among countries and potentially driving an arms race in outer space," Li Bin said.

Song Zhongping stated that the U.S. implementation of "weaponization of outer space" indicates its willingness to maintain its military advantage by any means, "even if it expands the battlefield to outer space." China has always advocated the peaceful use of outer space but will ensure it has sufficient means to counter the security threats posed by the U.S. to China and all of humanity.

China "opposes the weaponization, militarization, and arms race in outer space"

The Washington Post reported that the U.S. possession of space control weapons in orbit "serves as a warning to China and Russia." CNN reported that, according to U.S. military officials, China and Russia are testing "new offensive space capabilities."

"China has consistently adhered to the peaceful use of outer space and the maintenance of outer space security, opposing the weaponization, militarization, and arms race in outer space," stated Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian on the 15th. The Chinese side has repeatedly emphasized that it has no intention of engaging in a space race with any country, nor does it seek so-called space superiority.

According to Deutsche Welle, Russia also called for outer space to remain weapon-free on the 15th. Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov stated that Russia believes outer space should be free of any weapons and continues to expect the international community to work towards achieving the demilitarization of outer space.

The Chinese side has consistently taken practical actions to prevent an arms race in outer space. In 2008, China and Russia submitted and updated a draft treaty to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva in 2014, aimed at preventing the placement of weapons in outer space and the use or threat of force against outer space objects, promoting negotiations to reach a legal document for arms control in outer space based on this. In 2017 and 2022, China promoted the establishment of two government expert groups on "preventing an arms race in outer space" at the United Nations, making substantial contributions to discussions on formulating legal documents for arms control in outer space.

In December 2025, the 80th session of the UN General Assembly passed by a large majority two resolutions jointly proposed by China and Russia on "not being the first to deploy weapons in outer space" and "further practical measures to prevent an arms race in outer space." Both resolutions emphasize the need to prevent an arms race in outer space and to work together to build a community with a shared future for mankind. The concept of a community with a shared future for mankind has been included in the UN General Assembly's resolutions on outer space security for several consecutive years.