Posted on 01/19/2007 6:05:32 AM PST by Rb ver. 2.0
Britain has joined the US, Japan and Australia's condemnation of China after the communist country destroyed a satellite in space using a ballistic missile.
The British embassy in Beijing said it had raised the test, the first of its kind for 20 years, with the Chinese foreign ministry noting that the Government believed it was “inconsistent” with China’s opposition to the development of space weapons.
A spokesman refused to elaborate on the form the protest took or on the Chinese government’s response.
Later, a Downing Street spokesman said: "We are concerned about the impact of debris in space and we expressed that concern.
"We don't believe that this does contravene international law
"What we are concerned about however is lack of consultation and we believe that this development of this technology and the manner in which this test was conducted is inconsistent with the spirit of China's statements to the UN and other bodies on the military use of space."
The Chinese authorities have not confirmed a US report that it blew up one of its own aged weather satellites last Thursday with a ballistic missile fired from the Xichang space centre in Sichuan province.
There is stony silence on the subject in the Chinese media today as concern grows in the US and in the region about the prospect of an arms race in space.
If the test is confirmed, China will become the third country after the United States and the former Soviet Union to shoot down an object in space, indicating the Asian power could target satellites operated by other nations.
The United States, Japan, Australia and a host of other countries voiced concern on Friday .
Japan’s chief cabinet secretary, Yasuhisa Shiozaki, said his government had asked China for confirmation, and for an explanation of what its intentions were.
“We are concerned about it firstly from the point of view of peaceful use of space, and secondly from the safety perspective,” Mr Shiozaki said.
Gordon Johndroe, spokesman for the American National Security Council, said the US “believes China’s development and testing of such weapons is inconsistent with the spirit of co-operation that both countries aspire to in the civil space area”.
Alexander Downer, Australia's foreign minister, said his country did not want to see “some sort of spread, if you like, of an arms race into outer space”.
Taro Aso, the Japanese foreign minister, said the Chinese had sought to reassure Japan its intentions in space were of no threat to anyone.
“China consistently uses space only for peaceful purposes,” Mr Aso quoted the Chinese foreign ministry as saying.
The comments fit with the ruling Communist Party’s mantra in recent years that the nation’s rise as a world superpower should not be feared.
China joined the exclusive club of top space nations in 2003 when it sent up its first manned mission, joining the United States and Russia.
China spends 500 million dollars a year on its space programmes, according to official figures, while NASA’s proposed budget for 2007 is nearly 17 billion dollars.
But the United States has consistently deflected Chinese advances for closer cooperation on the two nations’ space programmes because of concerns about the involvement of China’s military.
A Chinese government defence paper released last month said that its defence expenditure had grown by more than 15 percent every year since 1990.
Whew, I thought the missle was destroyed in space.
Rut-roh.
(tip o' the hat to Moe Howard)
And JUST WHEN do you think the Red Chinese Communists give a tinkers damned about international law. That has NEVER stopped a communist before!!! International law?????? What a freaking joke. Like the Red Chinese give a $*&#!!!!
Will America's "Star Wars" missile defense program need satellites for it to work?
Call me cynical but I believe the Chinese knew exactly what they were doing and have just sent a message to the U.S.
There's cocoa butter and mineral oil scattered all over the place now...
Garde la Foi, mes amis! Nous nous sommes les sauveurs de la République! Maintenant et Toujours!
(Keep the Faith, my friends! We are the saviors of the Republic! Now and Forever!)
LonePalm, le Républicain du verre cassé (The Broken Glass Republican)
HEY,did they use the missle technology Bill Clinton gave to them to shoot it down ? Just wondering !!!
Reputable establishments have rules against this.
Especially since Russia released a statement early this morning stating this was a hoax.
Here is the statement I referenced:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1770029/posts
Russia - Reports that China missile hits satellite are rumors - Ivanov
Ah. Very interesting.
Britain has joined the US, Japan and Australia's condemnation of China after the communist country destroyed a satellite in space using a ballistic missile.
ping
EVERYTHING we use depends on satellites... all our new GPS-guided munitions, some of the Star Wars stuff, most of our current navigational and communications equipment... everything.
The Chinese don't give a damn what a bunch of hand-wringing politicians have to say, and they don't care wheteher they sent us a message or not. What they care about is developing weapons systems that work when they need something destroyed... rather than sending a message of compassion and dialogue.
Looks like they got what they paid for.
But...but....China is our friend....aren't they?
The Russians are only a tiny bit less anti-America than the Chinese. They have joint military excercises and non-aggression pacts, and the Russians sell the Chinese weapons and weapons technology. I think we would do well to consider the fact that it may someday be to Russia's benefit if we underestimate Chinese military capabilities.
The Chinese are the only military in the world with a fully active anti-satellite weapons program.
hopefullly they didn't interrupt someone's massage or body scrub, that would be truly unfortunate!
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