China warns US space weapons could fuel arms race

China has urged the United States to halt what Beijing describes as a military buildup in space after U.S. Air Force Secretary Troy Meink acknowledged work on on-orbit space-control weapons. Chinese officials warned that such capabilities could accelerate an arms race and called for measures to preserve the peaceful use of outer space. The exchange highlights growing strategic competition and concern over satellites' vulnerability, but neither side disclosed technical details of the systems at issue, and the statements do not independently establish their deployment status, targets, or rules of employment.