In light of a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon anti-submarine aircraft transiting through the Taiwan Strait, China has lodged accusations against the United States, claiming it is militarizing outer space. Col. Tan Kefei, spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry, expressed concerns about the establishment of the U.S. Space Force in 2019 and other related actions, asserting their detrimental effects on space security and global strategic stability. China strongly emphasizes its dedication to the peaceful utilization of space while actively opposing the weaponization and any form of arms race in the cosmic domain.
China’s Defense Ministry addressed recent concerns expressed by Space Force leaders regarding China’s growing capabilities, dismissing them as “classic cognitive dissonance.” China has made significant advancements in space, including the development of its own orbiting space station and plans for a crewed lunar mission. However, its destruction of a defunct weather satellite in 2007 led to international condemnation due to the resulting debris field posing a threat to other objects in orbit.
Bilateral relations between the U.S. and China have reached a historic low, with limited military-to-military contact. China has refused to restore contact with the U.S. military, potentially as a form of protest against U.S. weapon sales to Taiwan and sanctions imposed on Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu. Although the Taiwan Strait is recognized as international waters and airspace, China asserts a proprietary role over the area, which serves as a vital trade route.
China views Taiwan, a close ally of the U.S., as its own territory and has expressed willingness to annex it forcefully if necessary. China frequently deploys planes and warships to intimidate Taiwan’s military and citizens. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command, responsible for operations facing Taiwan, stated that it had dispatched fighters to monitor the U.S. plane’s transit and took appropriate measures within the bounds of laws and regulations to protect national sovereignty, security, and regional peace.
The U.S. 7th Fleet confirmed that a Navy P-8A Poseidon had passed through the Taiwan Strait in international airspace, asserting the United States’ commitment to uphold the navigational rights and freedoms of all nations. The fleet emphasized that the aircraft’s transit demonstrated the U.S.’s dedication to a free and open Indo-Pacific region, emphasizing that U.S. military operations are conducted in accordance with international law wherever permissible.
