[Text/Observer Network Qi Qian] Recently, US President Trump announced the construction of the "Golden Dome" missile defense system in a high-profile manner, targeting China and Russia.

According to reports by Hong Kong's South China Morning Post, on May 22 local time, Stephen Whiting, commander of the US Space Command, added fuel to the fire at a forum in Chicago. He hyped up that the so-called "space threat" from China was becoming increasingly "real and urgent," and the "Golden Dome" was a response to this so-called threat.

He claimed that over the past three decades, China had built capabilities that could threaten US space systems, so the US needed to be prepared, and the "Golden Dome" was part of ensuring that the US was ready.

In his speech, Whiting ignored objections from China and Russia, falsely accusing them of posing a threat to US security with their space posture.

"China is ambitious and aims to become the world's strongest space power, and they are taking action to achieve this goal," Whiting continued to hype, claiming that China was deploying weapons in orbit, developing interference systems, and deploying kinetic anti-satellite missiles, all of which were aimed at blinding and disrupting US military operations during crises.

Stephen Whiting's information photo

During his speech, he even openly promoted the "US-China conflict theory" and the Taiwan issue, claiming that "if there is a conflict with China in the future, we must be prepared in space." He also said that China had developed hundreds of reconnaissance satellites capable of "detecting, locating, tracking, and targeting" US military assets, aiming to detect the movements of US naval forces and conduct over-the-horizon missile strikes in the event of a conflict.

As introduced, the US Space Command was established in 2019 along with the US Space Force, responsible for leading US space military operations, including protecting satellites, coordinating with allies, and preparing for potential space conflicts.

Whiting also made unwarranted comments about China's hypersonic and orbital carrier system tests, claiming that one of these included a "partial orbital bombardment system" capable of evading early warning radars and striking targets unnoticed. He also called for commercial innovation to enhance US readiness, pointing out that the ability of companies to mass-produce satellites and reusable rockets was certainly an advantage in supporting the construction of the "Golden Dome."

When asked if space had already become a battlefield, Whiting answered without hesitation: "We do not want war to break out in space or spread to space. However, we must prepare for such a potential reality. The best way to avoid war is to be prepared."

In recent years, including Whiting, Pentagon officials have been hyping the "China threat" intensively. Last April, Whiting visited South Korea and Japan successively and publicly hyped that in the past six years, China had tripled the number of intelligence agencies, surveillance, and reconnaissance satellites, a "remarkable rapid" development that worried the US.

"China's development in space is breathtaking," Whiting claimed at the time, saying that China was developing a series of anti-space weapons, posing a threat to US space capabilities. According to him, in the past six years, China had tripled the number of intelligence agencies, surveillance, and reconnaissance satellites.

In his speech, Whiting repeated clichés, calling China the most serious "pacing challenge," and said that China had used its space capabilities to increase the lethality, precision, and range of its ground forces.

In January this year, Trump first ordered the launch of the so-called "Golden Dome" program, aimed at building a satellite network for detecting, tracking, and intercepting incoming missiles. This defense system may deploy hundreds of satellites to perform missile detection and tracking tasks.

On May 20, Trump announced the construction of the "Golden Dome" at the White House. Visual China

On May 20, Trump announced at the White House that he had selected a design plan for the $17.5 billion "Golden Dome" missile defense system and appointed General Michael Kitlan of the US Space Force as the chief project manager of the plan. The report said that this plan was widely regarded as the cornerstone of Trump's military plan, aimed at preventing threats from China and Russia.

On the 21st, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning stated that the so-called "Golden Dome" plan aimed to build a global, multi-level, multi-domain missile defense system unconstrained by any restrictions. The plan openly proposed a significant increase in outer space combat means, including the research and development and deployment of orbital interception systems, with a strong offensive character. It violated the principle of peaceful use advocated by the Outer Space Treaty, exacerbating the risks of the militarization of outer space and arms race, and undermining international security and military systems.

Mao Ning said that the US adhered to "America First," obsessed with seeking absolute security, violating the principle that the security of all countries should not be impaired, and damaging global strategic balance and stability. China expressed serious concern about this and urged the US to abandon the development and deployment of the global anti-missile system as soon as possible and take concrete actions to enhance strategic mutual trust between major powers and maintain global strategic stability.

This article is an exclusive contribution by Observer Network and cannot be reprinted without permission.

Original text: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7507644675805708819/

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