China opposes US establishment of Space Command

"China has consistently called for peaceful actions in outer space and opposes armaments and an arms race in outer space. We also oppose turning outer space into a new battlefield,"AFPDecember 19 quoted a statement by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying.

The statement was made after US President Donald Trump on December 18 ordered the establishment of the Space Command, an agency under the direct management of the Pentagon and controlling all space activities of the US military.

According to US media, the Space Command will be comparable in size to other US military commands, such as Central Command in the Middle East or Indo-Pacific Command in Asia, and will require the establishment of a headquarters as well as the appointment of a commander and deputy commander.

In June, Trump directed the establishment of a space force, with an organizational structure equal to the five traditional branches of the US military. The establishment of the Space Command is considered a step towards achieving this goal. However, the US President's intention has also encountered many opposing opinions from the US Department of Defense, because the establishment of a sixth military branch will take a lot of time and budget.

Beijing has also been stepping up its space activities recently. Earlier this month, China became the first country to successfully launch a probe to the far side of the moon, a move that underscores the country’s ambitions to become a future space superpower.