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.
(Flying Castle, to those in "the know.")
Thank you for the warm welcome!
But I have no idea what the Undead Thread or Flying Castle are.
Exactly!
Get ready....
My father had a spare too, thank God!
Of course. A channel that may or may not come in decently. I guess it was too much to ask that it be on ABC, which is the only channel with no interference...
*sigh*
That's OK...I'll watch it!
Well I am out of here for the evening. Y'all have fun!
Or 20c for a wire clothes hanger...
:-P
I know, but now that I've read WC Fields' quote about what fish do in water, I'm conflicted.
I was born ready.
;-)
Seeya Harmless!! :)
Ah! The Undead Thread is the name we have given to the current incarnation of a ZOT! thread that we have taken over for the month. This month, the Mods didn't leave us a ZOT! thread to take over, so we borrowed this one...
The Flying Castle came about due to an unfortunate accident concerning the back wall of the Smoky Backroom, back in the fall of 2004. We decided that since we had to make repairs, we would make the place to order.
We have bars and kitchens that are open 24/7, as well as gyms. We have a game preserve, our own distillery, and winery as well as brewery, and even a moat, complete with our own version of "Nessie."
You're most welcome to stay if you like. We're trying to figure out how to make dragons fly without too much weight to wing ratio.
Just this week, we were considering mini-hot air balloons to fly within the canopy.
'Night, Girl!
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Congratulations!
Howya! The Undead Thread is where the Fun People hang out. Would you like to see my baby pictures?
Hello, ladies!
How's the temperature in the spa?
I'm honored...
Thank you and I accept!
Welcome Pax!! :)
It got a little warmer after Bob was making bubbles...
Howya Sandy!! :)
Howya TC!! :)
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