The director of the Defense Intelligence Agency said Wednesday that the United States sees China increasing its “intent to use counterspace capabilities to threaten space.”
“When it comes to national security, China seeks to supplant the United States as global leader in space and use space to our detriment,” Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Cruz said.
“China is banking on America’s overdependence on space and is willing to put that capability at risk,” he said during a panel discussion on space and national security at the annual Aspen Security Forum.
In recent years, the space race between the United States and China has intensified with the rapid expansion of satellite networks and related technologies.
Beijing has repeatedly stated its commitment to the peaceful uses of space and argues that Washington has fueled and driven the current competition by establishing a Space Force in the first place.
Cruz said the US should be thinking about how to defend space as China aims to become “a far-reaching and fully capable space power, both economically and militarily”.
The DIA director described China as “the only country that has a larger space doctrine and space strategy than the United States, and that trains and exercises space and counter-space capabilities.”
Speaking at the same panel in Colorado, Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander of U.S. Space Command, said the combatant commands “must help defend the joint force from Chinese and Russian space forces.”
“Our role is to defend U.S. forces against China’s more precise, more lethal and more far-reaching army, navy and air forces.”
The U.S. space commander also said China should “continue to act responsibly” when it comes to space security.
“As they launch more satellites into orbit, we want to have a way to discuss space safety with them so we can operate effectively and make sure there are no misleading, miscommunications or unintended actions.”
Cruz believes space may be one area of national security where it’s “okay to have a conversation with China”, but warned about the potential for dual-use of space technology from the commercial sector.
“We should partner with them to some extent, or at least understand what they’re doing.”
Cruz said China’s space technology efforts “will include peaceful space applications and on-orbit regimes, then transition to potential future applications.”
