China seeks to dominate space, warns US general

Robert Besser
02 Dec 2022, 20:59 GMT+10

Lt. General Nina Armagno of the U.S. Space Force has said that rapid advancements in China's military capabilities pose increasing risks to American supremacy in outer space
Armagno, who is the head of the U.S. military's space wing, also said Beijing had made significant progress in developing military space technology
China has made significant advances in recent years in the space race, previously dominated by the U.S. and Russia, alarming Washington and other Western nations

SYDNEY, Australia: Lt. General Nina Armagno of the U.S. Space Force has said that rapid advancements in China's military capabilities pose increasing risks to American supremacy in outer space.

Armagno, who is the head of the U.S. military's space wing, also said Beijing had made significant progress in developing military space technology, including in satellite communications.

During an event in Sydney run by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Armagno said, "I think it is entirely possible they could catch up and surpass us, absolutely. The progress they have made has been stunning, stunningly fast," as quoted by Reuters.

China has made significant advances in recent years in the space race, previously dominated by the U.S. and Russia, alarming Washington and other Western nations.

Ye Peijian, head of the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program, said the moon and Mars are like the contested islands in the South China Sea, which Beijing is attempting to claim.

China is also developing experimental technology for mining asteroids and minor planets for natural resources.

"China is the only country with both the intent to reshape the international order and increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military and technological power to achieve that objective," Armagno said.

The fourth branch of the U.S. military, the Space Force was founded in 2019, partly to counter the rising capabilities of China, and is set to launch three astronauts to its new space station this week.

Armagno is the U.S. agency's first permanent commander.

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Central Asia Times.

More Information

null in null

International

Section

France military ordered out of Burkina Faso in west Africa

OUAGADOUGOU, Burkina Faso: As Burkina Faso, in western Africa, faces an Islamist insurgency, it is set to end a military ...

As births continue to fall, Japan seeks incentives for parents

TOKYO, Japan: Japanese Prime minister Fumio Kishida said this week that it was "now or never" for Japan, one of ...

US moving towards offering annual Covid vaccines to most Americans

WASHINGTON D.C.: As part of its efforts to simplify the national COVID-19 vaccine strategy, the US Food and Drug Administration ...

December crossings of US border set record

WASHINGTON D.C.: US authorities said this week that a surge in Cubans and Nicaraguans arriving at the US border with ...

Canada faces resistance to cutbacks from oil-producing Alberta

OTTAWA, Canada: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's Liberal government plans to implement its long-awaited workforce transition bill, the "Just Transition," ...

Japan's Kishida expected to visit Ukraine for talks with Zelenskiy

TOKYO, Japan: The Yomiuri newspaper has reported that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is planning to visit Kyiv in February ...

Asia

Section