China poses increasing threats to American supremacy in outer space, says top U.S. general

China poses increasing threats to American supremacy in outer space, says top U.S. general

The Head of the United States military’s space wing said on Monday that very rapid advancements in China’s military capabilities pose mounting risks to American supremacy in outer space. Nina Armagno, director of staff of the U.S. Space Force, said Beijing made significant progress in developing military space technology, including areas like satellite communications and re-useable spacecraft.

Armagno said at an event in Sydney run by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, “I think it’s entirely possible they could catch up and surpass us, absolutely. The progress they’ve made has been stunning, stunningly fast”.

Armagno said, “[China] is the only country with both the intent to reshape the international order and increasingly, the economic, diplomatic, military and technological power to achieve that objective”.

Armagno added, “Along with Russia, China has also conducted reckless missile tests that have created dangerous amounts of space debris in recent years. These debris fields threatened all of our systems in space, and these systems are vital to all nations’ security, economic and scientific interests”.

Reports suggest that China is developing experimental technology, is aimed at mining asteroids and minor planets for the extraction of natural resources.