China requires the US to hand over satellite data

Yesterday (February 21), China called on the United States to provide information about the US 193 reconnaissance satellite shoot and expressed concern about the potential consequences of this action on the world.

"China continues to closely monitor the consequences that US actions may have on space security and for other countries. China requires the US to abide by international obligations and quickly. providing the international community with necessary information and related data so that the concerned countries can take preventive measures , ' said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao.

US SM-3 rocket launched from USS Lake Erie warship (Photo: Reuters)

According to a statement by the US Department of Defense, the USS Lake Erie warship shot down the USA193 reconnaissance satellite with a single missile on the night of February 20, when the missile was at an altitude of nearly 200km above the Pacific Ocean. The US claimed that the satellite was shot down to prevent its toxic fuel tank from falling to the ground.

However, the downfall has caused some countries to worry that the US is trying an anti-satellite weapon in the context of escalating world tensions about the risk of arms race in the universe. The Russian Defense Ministry said the US plan seemed to cover up a weapons test and was "a conspiracy to bring an arms race to space".

China's reaction on February 21 was less severe than the statements made by China earlier this week. China suffered similar heavy pressure in 2007 when ballistic missiles destroyed old weather satellites, becoming the third country after the US and the Soviet Union to do so.

Many analysts argue that the ability to shoot down satellites is critical for future conflicts due to many modern military equipment depending on satellite information. Admiral Timothy Keating, US commander in the Pacific, admitted that the incident on January 21 was similar to the Chinese case of defending defenses, saying that the US case was vastly different because the US had publicly announced this. before doing.

The situation became more tense when Russia and China proposed a new treaty last week to ban the deployment of all weapons in space. However, the US rejected this proposal.

The diagram of the missile satellite shooting down, was fired from a warship located west of Hawaii.(Photo: BBC)