China opposes taking weapons into outer space, white paper

A white paper issued Thursday said the prospect to take weapons into outer space will lead to an arms race there and make it a new arena for military confrontation.

The outer space is the common wealth of mankind, but, at present, the danger of weaponization of outer space is increasing with each passing day, said the white paper titled China's Endeavors for Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, issued by the Information Office of the State Council.

Such a prospect is not in the interest of any country, it said.

China has all along stood for peaceful use of outer space, but criticized that the existing international legal instruments on outer space cannot effectively prevent weaponization of and an arms race in outer space.

The international community should take effective preventive measures, negotiate and conclude relevant international legal instrument to prohibit deployment of weapons in outer space and the threat or use of force against objects in outer space so as to ensure that the outer space is used purely for peaceful purposes, it said.

Source: Xinhua