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China has accused President Donald Trump of “converting space into a battleground” with the development of the United States’ new Golden Dome missile defense program. Similar to the Israeli Iron Dome system, this ambitious new shield against ballistic missiles is intended to safeguard the entire continental United States.
China Condemns US Golden Dome Missile Defense Program
Speaking on Tuesday from the Oval Office, President Trump stated he anticipates the system to be “fully operational before the end of my term,” which concludes in 2029, and to possess the capability of intercepting missiles “even if they are launched from space.” However, in a sharp rebuke, Beijing argues that Washington’s ambitions will “aggravate the danger of transforming outer space into a battlefield.”
Allegations of Offensive Nature and Treaty Violation
Reports indicate that Chinese Foreign Minister Mao Ning asserted the Golden Dome possesses a “strong offensive nature and contravenes the principle of peaceful utilization in the Outer Space Treaty.”
The incensed official further stated:
- “The project will elevate the threat of turning space into a combat zone and initiating a space arms competition, thereby destabilizing the international security and arms control framework.”
- “We implore the US to forgo developing and implementing a global anti-missile system.”
China has expressed grave concern, urging the US to “relinquish developing and deploying the global anti-missile system promptly and undertake tangible measures to bolster strategic mutual trust between major nations and preserve global strategic stability.”
Space Dominance Race
China, Russia, and the United States have been engaged in a contest to secure dominance in Earth’s orbit, with Russia deploying a suspected ‘satellite killer’ mechanism shortly before its incursion into Ukraine in February 2022.
Projected Costs of the Golden Dome
The Congressional Budget Office estimated this month that the space-based components of the Golden Dome missile defense could incur costs as high as £400 billion over the next 20 years. President Trump has requested an initial £18 billion for the program within his proposed tax alleviation legislation currently under consideration in Congress.
Pentagon’s Warning and Countermeasures
The Pentagon has cautioned for several years that the latest missiles engineered by China and Russia exhibit such advanced capabilities that updated countermeasures have become vital.
The missile defense program‘s additional satellites and interceptors – representing the majority of the program’s expenditure – would emphasize intercepting those sophisticated missiles early or mid-flight.
US Space Force Perspective
General Chance Saltzman, head of the US Space Force, informed lawmakers at a hearing on Tuesday that the space-based weaponry conceived for the Golden Dome “represent new and emerging imperatives for missions that have never before been executed by military space organizations.”
In the past year, the US conveyed that Russia was in the process of creating a space-based nuclear weapon capable of lingering in space for extended durations before unleashing a burst capable of destroying nearby satellites.