China voices strong dissatisfaction with US defense act negative clauses regarding China: spokesperson

BEIJING - China on Monday expressed strong dissatisfaction with the United States over the negative contents distorting and smearing China's military development and on issues relating to Taiwan, Hong Kong and Xinjiang as well as prohibited purchase of Chinese products, in the US 2020 National Defense Authorization Act, said a Foreign Ministry spokesperson.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang told a news briefing that China has lodged solemn representations with the United States over this.

China urges the United States to discard its Cold War mentality and ideological bias, treat China's development and China-US relations with an objective and rational manner, and not to implement the negative clauses against China to avoid damages to bilateral ties and cooperation in important areas, Geng said.

The Act also authorized the establishment of the United States Space Force. Geng said the US has been pushing its space dominance strategy, going further down the path of weaponization of outer space and risking turning it into a new theater of warfare.

Such moves seriously violate the international consensus on the peaceful use of outer space, undermine the global strategic balance and stability, and pose a direct threat to peace and security of outer space.

"China is deeply concerned about and firmly opposed to this," Geng said.

He said the security of outer space that the United States has claimed to be pursuing is merely security for itself. However, the fundamental purpose of the international community is to safeguard the common security of all humankind in outer space.

The United States has been obstinate in its pursuit of weaponization of outer space but repeatedly make an issue of China and Russia, Geng said. "This is the guilty party shifting the blame on the innocent and seeking excuses to free itself."

China has always advocated the peaceful use of outer space and opposed the weaponizing of and waging an arms race in outer space. Under the current situation, there is greater necessity and urgency to initiate negotiation of a legally-binding instrument on outer space arms control, according to the spokesperson.

"We hope the international community, especially relevant major countries, will take a prudent and responsible attitude to safeguard the lasting peace and tranquility in outer space and make sure it will not turn into a new battlefield," Geng said.