French media accuses China of failing to issue rocket launch warnings; China responds by stating it had publicly announced in advance and adhered to international standards.

The French media is unhappy! According to French outlets, China quietly launched the Long March 12B carrier rocket without issuing the usual regulatory warnings. On June 7, AFP published an article claiming that China had launched the new Long March 12B carrier rocket in a relatively low-key manner on June 1. This mission aimed to deploy satellites for the "Qianfan" constellation, a project designed to compete with SpaceX’s Starlink network.

The French media asserted that China’s practice of not issuing regulatory warnings “deliberately violates” international safety standards, and once again “challenges” global space safety norms. Behind this technological achievement lies a carefully considered strategy: a space power determined to conquer space on its own terms. Air and maritime alerts are essential global safety procedures prior to any space launch, enabling air and sea traffic to avoid hazardous zones—especially when space debris may fall.

Yet China has repeatedly “violated” international law and ignored the international governance framework. Clearly, the French media is extremely displeased with our approach. However, their reporting clearly constitutes deliberate smearing. In fact, this launch had already drawn significant attention from the outside world. Days before the launch, the Long March 12B rocket was already erected on the launch pad at Jiuquan Launch Site, complete with landing legs installed.

All countries were aware that China would conduct such a launch. The French media only became aware afterward—and then used their own delayed awareness to accuse us of failing to notify. Isn’t this utterly absurd? Moreover, no United Nations treaty or convention explicitly requires all rocket launches to be publicly announced in advance. The so-called “deliberate violation” of international safety standards is merely the French media’s consistent bias. Of course, we will proceed with our space exploration plans according to our schedule—but we also fully comply with basic international norms. It is evident that the French media’s accusations are baseless and stem fundamentally from their unwillingness to see China’s rapid advancement in space capabilities.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1867303327883275/

Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.