As China celebrated the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Liberation Army Air Force last week, the prospect of a Sino-US arms race in outer space no longer seems remote. In an interview published in the People’s Liberation Army Daily on November 2, a top Air Force commander Gen. Xu Qiliang had declared that the development and deployment of space weapons was inevitable.

“As far as the revolution in military affairs is concerned, the competition between military forces is moving towards outer space. This is a historical inevitability and a development that cannot be turned back,” Xu said.

“The PLA Air Force must establish in a timely manner the concepts of space security, space interests and space development. We must build an outer space force that conforms to the needs of our nation’s development (and) the demands of the development of the Space Age,” Xu argued.

As Gen. Xu’s remarks reverberated around the world, especially in the United States, the Chinese Foreign Office quickly sought to underplay them by insisting that China has always opposed the weaponisation of outer space and “will never participate in an arms race in outer space in any form”.

The last word on China’s peaceful intentions came when President Hu Jintao declared Beijing’s commitment to the creation of a “harmonious space”. Those who follow the developments in space technology around the world are inclined to agree more with Xu’s assessment that outer space is likely to become a contested realm rather than a harmonious one.

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