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Chinese missile destroys satellite in space
The Telegraph ^ | 1/19/06 | Richard Spencer

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.


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: aaaaaaaazotaaaaaaaaa; allyurzotrbelong2us; arewethereyet; asat; china; clintonlegacy; fan; fearnotthezot; loral; margaritaville; missile; molassesmiasma; monkeyfacerules; nasa; penguinhumor; rbver20notgotthezot; satellite; saveurzots4nxtthread; sionnsar; taxchickgoesrunning; theundeadthread; undeadthreadfeb07; walmartsfriend; weareincontrol; wherewegoinbob
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To: NicknamedBob

Good morning, Bob. I will check out the story today.


201 posted on 02/01/2007 5:34:04 AM PST by Soaring Feather (I Soar, cause I can....)
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To: Tax-chick

It does look nice, doesn't it.


Gotta head to work, see you later.

:-)


202 posted on 02/01/2007 5:34:26 AM PST by fanfan ("We don't start fights my friends, but we finish them, and never leave until our work is done."PMSH)
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To: Soaring Feather
Morning, Feather!

Those are just some of the highlights. It took us years to gather all the elements for our plot.

203 posted on 02/01/2007 6:09:20 AM PST by NicknamedBob (Sign says, "No dogs allowed -- except seeing-eye dogs" Why don't they put that sign down lower?)
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To: NicknamedBob

I see that, I started to read it last night, but my eyes were tired and so was I!!


204 posted on 02/01/2007 6:11:38 AM PST by Soaring Feather (I Soar, cause I can....)
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To: NicknamedBob

Morning, Bob. Howzit?


205 posted on 02/01/2007 6:20:51 AM PST by Tax-chick ("Hyperbolic rodomontade of the most puerile type." ~ Aaron Elkins)
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To: Tax-chick
or the tropical shrubbery!

ROGER THE SHRUBBER:
Are you saying 'ni' to that old woman?
ARTHUR:
Erm,... yes.
ROGER:
Oh, what sad times are these when passing ruffians can say 'ni' at will to old ladies. There is a pestilence upon this land. Nothing is sacred. Even those who arrange and design shrubberies are under considerable economic stress at this period in history.
ARTHUR:
Did you say 'shrubberies'?
ROGER:
Yes. Shrubberies are my trade. I am a shrubber. My name is 'Roger the Shrubber'. I arrange, design, and sell shrubberies.
BEDEVERE:
Ni!

206 posted on 02/01/2007 6:27:39 AM PST by Dead Corpse (Anyone who needs to be persuaded to be free, doesn't deserve to be.)
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To: Dead Corpse

The palm trees wouldn't last long in Britain.


207 posted on 02/01/2007 6:30:55 AM PST by Tax-chick ("Hyperbolic rodomontade of the most puerile type." ~ Aaron Elkins)
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To: SandyInSeattle; monkapotamus
That is a fine monkey face.

Looks a little put out to me! But still...it IS a mankey face! :oP

208 posted on 02/01/2007 6:56:28 AM PST by Monkey Face (Never understimate the power of stupid people in large groups.)
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To: Tax-chick

Good Morning, T-C!

My eyes opened up to a beautiful thing this morning; Daylight!


Any day that I can open my eyes is a good day!

(And I'm not even a morning person!) ... Later. I'm heading for work.


209 posted on 02/01/2007 6:56:43 AM PST by NicknamedBob (Sign says, "No dogs allowed -- except seeing-eye dogs" Why don't they put that sign down lower?)
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To: Tax-chick

Heat lamps. Helps give some veritas to that whole "global warming" thing.


210 posted on 02/01/2007 7:09:04 AM PST by Dead Corpse (Anyone who needs to be persuaded to be free, doesn't deserve to be.)
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To: Monkey Face; monkapotamus; SandyInSeattle
...it IS a mankey face!...

Looks like I need to wake up before posting. This could be hazardous to my mental health. :o|

211 posted on 02/01/2007 7:34:24 AM PST by Monkey Face (Never understimate the power of stupid people in large groups.)
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To: tuliptree76; Admin Moderator
I've glanced at the beginning of the thread, and now I'm confused. This isn't a ZOT thread, is it? Are we breaking the mold and moving into new territory?

Nope. Tbis isn't a ZOT thread. The Admin Gods haven't been leaving very many of those around anymore, so we have to make do. This isn't the first time we've moved into a non-ZOT thread, though, as I recall.

212 posted on 02/01/2007 9:19:16 AM PST by sionnsar (†trad-anglican.faithweb.com†|Iran Azadi| 5yst3m 0wn3d - it's N0t Y0ur5 (SONY) | UN: Useless Nations)
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Satellite in spa... kinky! :-P


213 posted on 02/01/2007 10:17:56 AM PST by Irish_Thatcherite (New Tagline Loading... Please Wait)
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To: Irish_Thatcherite

But it's HOME, Irish! Howdy!


214 posted on 02/01/2007 10:27:48 AM PST by Monkey Face (Never understimate the power of stupid people in large groups.)
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To: Monkey Face

Howya Face!! Any Sputniks in your bath? ;)


215 posted on 02/01/2007 10:36:30 AM PST by Irish_Thatcherite (New Tagline Loading... Please Wait)
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To: Irish_Thatcherite

Erm....If I tell ya, I'll have to kill ya! ;o]


216 posted on 02/01/2007 12:05:08 PM PST by Monkey Face (Never understimate the power of stupid people in large groups.)
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To: Monkey Face

;)


217 posted on 02/01/2007 12:08:00 PM PST by Irish_Thatcherite (New Tagline Loading... Please Wait)
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To: Irish_Thatcherite

XO


218 posted on 02/01/2007 12:08:50 PM PST by Monkey Face (Never understimate the power of stupid people in large groups.)
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To: Monkey Face

{{{{{{{{{{{{{FACE}}}}}}}}}}}}}


219 posted on 02/01/2007 12:10:55 PM PST by Irish_Thatcherite (New Tagline Loading... Please Wait)
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To: Irish_Thatcherite; Monkey Face; fanfan
"New Tagline Loading... Please Wait"

You know, Irish, there's either something wrong with your tagline download, or it is just way too long to fit.

Here's one you can have. I guarantee I'm not going to use it:

(Whenever someone says, "You have a nice one!", I always check my zipper.)

220 posted on 02/01/2007 2:59:17 PM PST by NicknamedBob (Sign says, "No dogs allowed -- except seeing-eye dogs" Why don't they put that sign down lower?)
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