The anticipated debris field resulting from China's 2007 anti-satellite missile test. In the test, a weather satellite, at an altitude of 537 miles and a mass of 1,650 pounds, was hit by a kinetic kill vehicle. China Requires Capacity to Shoot Down American Satellites (Huanqiu, People's Republic of China) As an emerging world power, does China need the capacity to eliminate American satellites? In recent days, the buzz from the intelligence community has been that within the next few weeks, China is likely to hold another test of its capacity destroy or disable satellites in space. According to this editorial from China's state-run Huanqiu, whether or not China holds such a test, it must develop a check on America's overwhelming outer space strike capability to prevent U.S. adventurism and ensure China's rightful development. EDITORIAL Translated By James Chen January 8, 2013 Peoples Republic of China  Huanqiu  Original Article (Chinese) America's Global Positioning System satellite network: China is making no secret that it is developing a capability to disable or destroy American satellites in space. BBC NEWS VIDEO: China's first woman in space returns to earth, June 29, 2012, 00:01:33 On Jan. 4, U.S. media reported that there is speculation within the U.S. defense and intelligence communities that later this month, China is gearing up for a new anti-satellite test launch. The U.S. side says that the latest test, if successful, would put at risk U.S. strategic satellites, such as navigation satellites of the Global Positioning System. A Chinese anti-satellite test conducted in early 2007 created an uproar. And while foreign news reports in January 2010 were that China has conducted another such test, this was never confirmed. Some analysts believe that even if China conducts a new test, the aim would be to disable rather than down the satellites involved. The peaceful use of space is the genuine public policy of China. China has no interest in engaging in a large scale arms race in space with the United States, only to see the two sides shoot down one another's satellites one day. In 2008, China and Russia issued a joint proposal for a treaty prohibiting the deployment of weapons in space, but they were rebuffed by the United States. Against this background, it is essential for China to have the capacity to confront U.S. satellites. This deterrent is essential for the provision of strategic protection to China's satellites, and well as the nation's overall security. One needn't have mastery over great power politics to understand this. We still don't know whether China will hold a new anti-satellite test. We do know that last October, China denied U.S. media reports that it would. However, we believe that China should continue substantive research into striking satellites in orbit. And under the aegis of anti-missile defense, it can do so while avoiding controversy over whether this violates the peaceful use of space. But no matter how much is invested in space weapons, the gap between China and the United States is so great that it will not be closed for a long time to come. The U.S. advantage in outer space strike capability is too great. In order to lessen the strategic imbalance that results from this gap, China urgently needs a convincing outer space strike capability of its own. YOUR DONATION MAKES OUR WORK AS A NON-PROFIT POSSIBLE. WE THANK YOU.

In the years to come, the U.S. will continue to harass and even obstruct the development of China's space capabilities, doing all in its power to disseminate negative opinion about China's space program. China's reaction should be to make tactical adjustments to minimize trouble from Western public opinion. But the bottom line is that China should not be diverted from proceeding with its research for the sake of winning points from the West.

China's reputation is doomed to be tarnished in the West. Generally speaking, China's image depends on its level of cooperation with Western interests. Attempting to ingratiate ourselves with the West is not the answer. We must pursue a normal pace of development, and maintain our complicated relationship with the West on this basis. Western stereotypes of China are a result of two things: ideological differences and competing national interests. With the rise of China, ideological differences have become relatively less influential than competing national interests. But because it is unwilling to accept China's development, the West pretends not to notice this change and presents China's rise as more of a clash of ideology than national interest.

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SEE ALSO ON THIS:

Tribune de Geneve, Switzerland: The Moon and the Chinese; Mars and the United States

Rodong Sinmun, North Korea: American Space Crime Must be Stopped!

Global Times, China: After Launch, China Should Offer Pyongyang 'Sense of Security'

Der Spiegel, Germany : China Mobilizes for 'War of the Heavens'

Telegraph, U.K.: VIDEO: Japan Condemns North Korea Rocket Launch

The Hankyoreh, South Korea: Continental America in Range of North Korean Rocket

Opera Mundi, Brazil: Can America Secure a North Korean Nuclear 'Reversal'?

Moskovskiye Novosti, Russia: 'Russia's Place in a Changing World,' By Vladimir Putin

Rodong Sinmun, North Korea: 'U.S. Warmongers' Foolish to Hope to Change North

Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Germany: Secret of America's Counterfeit 'Supernotes'

Korean Central, North Korea: The U.S. 'Should Be Cursed' By All Koreans

Korean Central, North Korea: 'Japanese Militarists' Prepare for Reinvasion of Korea

And of all national interests, security interests are the most important. The gradual rise of broad-based Chinese power has created a sense of crisis in Western countries, and at this stage, there is little that can be done to eliminate it. But as long as China sincerely wants peaceful development and practices strategic restraint, Western countries will gradually reassess China's strategic intentions and give up their paranoia.

China must have a reliable strategic retaliatory capability. During this great transition period, that means deterring the United States from embarking on risky action against China. Although there is a certain degree of political stability in the United States, we also see and hear more than a few radical impulses simmering below the surface. As the situation after the Cold War demonstrated, when the United States lost any fear of retaliation, its strategic judgment was diminished.

China today is more concerned than ever with improving people's livelihoods, and this garners greater public attention than does national security strategy. However, consolidating China's strategic security is the foundation of the long-term development of the people's livelihoods. So we must come up with the necessary resources and energy and commit them to the construction of advanced defense capabilities.

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[Posted by Worldmeets.US Jan. 8, 1:29am]