The Chinese military has issued a warning to the United States over President Donald Trump‘s Golden Dome missile defense program, claiming it would open a “Pandora’s box.”
When asked for a response, the Pentagon referred Newsweek to an earlier statement issued by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who said the $175 billion initiative would “protect our nation from aerial attacks from any foe” by deploying interceptors and sensors in space.
Why It Matters
On May 20, Trump announced his administration’s preferred concept for the Golden Dome program, which he said is expected to be fully operational before the end of his term in 2029. The missile defense system will see the U.S. deploy weapons in space to intercept missiles for the first time.
China previously warned that the proposed “highly offensive” U.S. defense system violates the principle of the peaceful use of space.
“It will exacerbate the risk of turning outer space into a battlefield and starting an arms race,” Beijing’s foreign ministry said on May 21.
Russia and North Korea—both quasi-allies of China—have also slammed the U.S. for undermining strategic stability and turning space into a potential nuclear battlefield.
What To Know
Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry, accused the U.S. at a press conference on Thursday of “continuously” expanding its military build-up and stoking an arms race in space, thereby violating the “relevant principles” of the Outer Space Treaty.
The treaty prohibits the placing of nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in Earth’s orbit, on celestial bodies, or in outer space, according to the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs.
The deployment of the Golden Dome system would “heighten the risk of turning space into a war zone and triggering a space arms race,” the Chinese military spokesperson said.
Alex Brandon/AP Photo
“Its actions will once again open a Pandora’s box. This proves again that no country has done more than the U.S. in militarizing space and making it a battlefield,” Zhang added.
In his statement issued shortly after Trump’s announcement, Hegseth mentioned that some of America’s space technologies—including space-based sensors and air and missile defense—already exist, but they need to be “seamlessly integrated” to comprise a complete system.
Space Force General Michael Guetlein, who was appointed to oversee the Golden Dome project, warned that adversaries are intent on placing the U.S. at risk by building space weapons. Trump claimed that the Golden Dome will be capable of intercepting space-launched missiles.
What People Are Saying
Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Chinese Defense Ministry, said on Thursday: “We urge the U.S. side to stop expanding military build-up in space, and take concrete actions to uphold global strategic stability.”
U.S. President Donald Trump said on May 20: “Once fully constructed, the Golden Dome will be capable of intercepting missiles even if they are launched from other sides of the world and even if they are launched from space, and we will have the best system ever built.”
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on May 20: “Our goal is peace through strength. Golden Dome ensures that the American homeland is not left exposed while adversaries develop more advanced and lethal long-range weapons.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether China will counter the Golden Dome by developing more advanced missiles capable of evading defense systems and targeting the U.S.