China has urged the United States to stop expanding its military presence in outer space after Washington publicly acknowledged that it has operational weapons positioned in orbit. Beijing warned that the development could contribute to an arms race in space, as concerns grow among major powers over the increasing militarisation of the domain. The remarks followed statements by US officials confirming the existence of on-orbit space control weapons.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing opposes the weaponisation of outer space and efforts to turn it into a potential war zone. “We urge the US to stop expanding military build-up in outer space, and uphold global strategic stability with concrete actions,” Guo said at a regular press briefing, according to Reuters. China has repeatedly called for the peaceful use of outer space and opposed an arms race involving space-based military capabilities.

The Chinese response came after US Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink said the United States has “on-orbit space control weapons capable of defending the Joint Force against hostile adversary action.” The statement was described by Reuters as the strongest public acknowledgement yet by a Pentagon official that the US has weapons operating in orbit. Meink did not identify the systems or provide details about their capabilities.

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Chinese state-affiliated Global Times described the US disclosure as evidence of what it called Washington’s pursuit of “space hegemony” and warned that it could contribute to a wider space arms race. Chinese military analyst Song Zhongping told the newspaper that the acknowledgement represented a shift toward directly deploying weapons in orbit rather than relying primarily on ground-based counter-space systems. These assessments reflect China's stated concerns about how developments in US space capabilities could affect strategic stability.

The issue comes amid growing military attention to space from the United States, China and Russia. US officials have said adversaries are developing capabilities that could threaten American space assets, while military planners increasingly regard satellites and other orbital systems as important to communications, navigation and military operations. Reuters reported that US officials have not disclosed the specific weapons referred to in the recent statements, leaving their exact nature and capabilities unclear.

China had also warned last week that US military activity in orbit could create a “security dilemma,” in which one country's efforts to strengthen its space capabilities prompt other nations to develop countermeasures that are then viewed as threats. The latest exchange highlights continuing disagreements over the future use of outer space and the need for international rules governing military activities beyond Earth. Beijing's latest call comes as the US, China and other major space powers continue developing capabilities intended to protect their respective space assets and national-security interests.

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