Cosmic cooperation with China is controversial in the United States

Should or should not shake hands with China in the field of space science is the subject of controversy among politicians in a US House of Representatives meeting yesterday.

Speaking to the US House of Representatives Foreign Affairs Committee yesterday, Charlie Bolden, NASA director, said that space cooperation could help the United States and China narrow down disagreements on many issues and bring benefits. for both sides.

'Cooperation with China in some extent can create the basis for dialogue and cooperation in a way that fits the interests of both countries' , AP quoted Mr Bolden.

Mr. Bolden's comments came after China's Shenzhou 8 successfully connected to the Heavenly 1st module in the space - a landmark event for the ambition of installing space stations. of China.

Mr. Charlie Bolden.

Congressman Frank Wolf, a Republican delegate to Virginia, has given the prohibition clause to scientific cooperation with China. He said Washington should not shake hands with Beijing in this high-tech field.

'I feel anxious when the government wants to cooperate with China in the space program and is willing to share sensitive technologies. My view is that the US should not cooperate with the Chinese People's Liberation Army in the space exploration program , "Wolf asserted before the Foreign Affairs subcommittee.

Bolden stressed that NASA will continue to comply with the law banning scientific cooperation with China. But he supports a number of 'controlled technology exchanges' with Beijing, because space exploration requires coordination of many countries.

The meaningful cooperation that could occur between the two countries is considered a rival, Mr Bolden argues. The United States and the Soviet Union had collaborated in the universe during the Cold War, starting with a joint flight in 1975. The benefits of the International Space Station (ISS) are the most telling example. If the US does not cooperate with the Soviet Union, ISS will not be born.

'The United States and China can begin to work together in space waste processing, space disaster management and planetary research , ' Bolden suggests.

John Holdren, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, also supports cooperation with Beijing.

'The fact that we think China intends to compete with the United States does not mean that the US should not shake hands with China. Our solution is to cooperate wisely so that the US can gain benefits , "Mr. Holdren commented.

Mr. Holdren also reiterated President Ronald Reagan's cooperative strategy with the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

'President Reagan once called the Soviet Union an evil empire. But during the two presidential terms, he continuously expanded the level of cooperation with the Soviet Union in the field of science and technology. Scientific cooperation between the US and the Soviet Union began in 1958 under the Eisenhower presidency and continued until the Soviet Union disintegrated in 1991 , 'he said.