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.
No, but it could be. Any "Poblachd Saorsa," (in English, "Free Republic") the best whisky straight from The Official Distillery of the Undead ThreadTM?
Don't we have spider bots or zombies for fetching things?
Well, at least you weren't born in sepia!
If we don't, we should.
When was the last time you looked at my home page?...
Been awhile since I had some of that rotgut...break out the shot glasses!
I forgot!
You were so cute!
(((FACE)))
Hi, sion! Are you recovering from your trip?
I have a heated mattress pad to keep me warm when I feel chilly. It's a little hard to leave home with it, though...
I bet you don't even know which one is me! *snark*
Is that milk on your lip? Or were you doing something to earn the name?
Sepia.
That's what it's called?
Thanks, I didn't know that.
Now that was a romantic (lack of) color!
Everything was 'dreamy' then.
*sigh*
:-)
We haven't gone back out into the wild yet, but will this summer.
It was funny, back in October I took a Firearms Safety course.
The class was on the second floor and at the top of stairs
there was a stuffed bear the spitting image of the one we encountered.
I asked the folks if it would be okay to bring Sam up to see it and they said sure.
He was doo-di-doo-doin along 'til he reach the landing half way up and saw the bear at the top.
He stopped, but as I reassured him he cautiously continued to come up.
When he reached it he kept his body back but stretched out his neck to give it a good sniffing.
He seemed to catch on that it wasn't a threat but was still a little wary.
The other dogs here can lay on their bellies with their hind legs stretched out behind them
but Sam has never done that, probably because of the hip joints.
When he playing or out in the bush he gives it his all
and it's not 'til later that the soreness and stiffness becomes apparent.
I have to make sure I pace him or he'll over do it.
On The Right!
Neener, neener, neener!
*HUGS*
Beginning to. Came back with a ton of work with a short deadline (today) -- finished it right at quitting time.
I'd be feeling better if it weren't for all the car problems. Mine is suddenly hard starting (it's cranking slower than usual, though it catches quickly enough), and the goodwife's is experiencing problems unrelated to being T-boned by an out-of-control car during our last bout of white global warming.
Hmm. A combination miniature spider bot and ice bucket programmed to scuttle back and forth from the fridge to the spa. No problem.
We wouldn't want to use the big ones, unless we wanted to move the spas around.
Replace the starter.
My daughters dog (lives with said daughter now) on the left, with our very old (just turned 14) German Shepperd on the right. This picture is 2 years old.
Our new dog, Rush.
;-)
Hi fanfan!
How was your trip?
Did you get to meet J.R. Ewing?
Wow! Those eyes--how pretty.
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