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US condemns China 'space weapon'
The United States, Australia and Canada have criticised China over a weapons test it is said to have carried out in space last week.
The Americans say the Chinese sent up a ballistic missile to destroy an ageing weather satellite.
They say the test went against the spirit of co-operation both countries aspire to in the area of civil space.
Reports say Britain, South Korea and Japan were expected to express their concerns to China soon.
US National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe confirmed a report in the magazine, American Aviation Week and Space Technology.
The report cited space sources as saying a Chinese Feng Yun 1C polar orbit weather satellite, launched in 1999, was destroyed by an anti-satellite system launched from or near China's Xichang Space Centre in Sichuan Province on 11 January.
The impact occurred at more than 537 miles (865km) above Earth.
"The US believes China's development and testing of such weapons is inconsistent with the spirit of co-operation that both countries aspire to in the civil space area," Mr Johndroe said.
"We and other countries have expressed our concern regarding this action to the Chinese."
US space strategy
Last October, the US adopted a tough new policy aimed at protecting its interests in space.
The 10-page strategic document states that the US national security "is critically dependent upon space capabilities, and this dependence will grow".
"The United States will preserve its rights, capabilities, and freedom of action in space... and deny, if necessary, adversaries the use of space capabilities hostile to US national interests," it says.
The document rejects any proposals to ban space weapons.
The White House said at the time that the policy did not call for the development or deployment of weapons in space.
But its strategic paper addressed concerns - voiced in a 2001 Pentagon report that said technological advances would enable potential enemies to disrupt orbiting US satellites.
During the Cold War, US President Ronald Reagan proposed a defence shield using laser or particle beam technology to "intercept and destroy" incoming nuclear missiles.
The Strategic Defence Initiative, or "Star Wars" programme as it came to be known, was abandoned in 1993.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6276543.stm
The United States, Australia and Canada have criticised China over a weapons test it is said to have carried out in space last week.
The Americans say the Chinese sent up a ballistic missile to destroy an ageing weather satellite.
They say the test went against the spirit of co-operation both countries aspire to in the area of civil space.
Reports say Britain, South Korea and Japan were expected to express their concerns to China soon.
US National Security Council spokesman Gordon Johndroe confirmed a report in the magazine, American Aviation Week and Space Technology.
The report cited space sources as saying a Chinese Feng Yun 1C polar orbit weather satellite, launched in 1999, was destroyed by an anti-satellite system launched from or near China's Xichang Space Centre in Sichuan Province on 11 January.
The impact occurred at more than 537 miles (865km) above Earth.
"The US believes China's development and testing of such weapons is inconsistent with the spirit of co-operation that both countries aspire to in the civil space area," Mr Johndroe said.
"We and other countries have expressed our concern regarding this action to the Chinese."
US space strategy
Last October, the US adopted a tough new policy aimed at protecting its interests in space.
The 10-page strategic document states that the US national security "is critically dependent upon space capabilities, and this dependence will grow".
"The United States will preserve its rights, capabilities, and freedom of action in space... and deny, if necessary, adversaries the use of space capabilities hostile to US national interests," it says.
The document rejects any proposals to ban space weapons.
The White House said at the time that the policy did not call for the development or deployment of weapons in space.
But its strategic paper addressed concerns - voiced in a 2001 Pentagon report that said technological advances would enable potential enemies to disrupt orbiting US satellites.
During the Cold War, US President Ronald Reagan proposed a defence shield using laser or particle beam technology to "intercept and destroy" incoming nuclear missiles.
The Strategic Defence Initiative, or "Star Wars" programme as it came to be known, was abandoned in 1993.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6276543.stm
