Print

Mail

wiki links

China asks for `progress' in space weapons treaty

China said it wants "positive progress" this year on a proposal it has prepared with Russia for a new treaty banning weapons in space.

The treaty, unveiled on Tuesday at a Conference on Disarmament meeting in Geneva, would prohibit the deployment of weapons of any kind in space, or the use or threat of force against space objects.

"China hopes the Conference on Disarmament will enter into substantial discussion on the draft as soon as possible in order to reach a common consensus," Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi (楊潔箎) said in a statement.

"Towards this aim, China is willing to work with all member nations of the Conference. We hope that with the common efforts of the member nations, the Conference will be able to make positive progress this year," he said.

Yang's statement, delivered in written form in Geneva, was quoted in a news release on the Chinese foreign ministry's Web site, dated Tuesday.

Washington's plans for satellite and missile defense remain shrouded in secrecy but have sparked fears of an arms race with both Russia and China.

Concerns over a new arms race in space have been growing since China tested an anti-satellite missile in January last year.

The White House on Tuesday rejected Russia's call for a new treaty to ban the use of weapons in space, warning that ensuring compliance would be "impossible."

"The United States opposes the development of new legal regimes or other restrictions that seek to prohibit or limit access to or use of space," spokeswoman Dana Perino said.

The best way to prevent an arms race in space, said Perino, would be to "encourage discussions aimed at promoting transparency and confidence-building measures" so that countries are not in the dark about potential rivals' plans.

Her comments came after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia and China were proposing a new treaty to ban the use of weapons in space amid concerns of growing anti-satellite missile rivalry.

"Without preventing an arms race in space, international security will be wanting," Lavrov told a conference on disarmament in Geneva.

Perino said Washington welcomed international cooperation "to preserve the benefits of peaceful activities in space for everyone" and was "committed to preserving equal access for the peaceful uses of outer space."

But "proposed arms control agreements or restrictions must not impair the rights of the US to conduct research, development, testing and operation or other activities in space for US national interests," she said.
This story has been viewed 1079 times.