US general raises alarm over ‘breathtaking’ growth in China’s space tech
- China will be world-class in most space technology areas by 2030, US Space Command’s Stephen Whiting says
- China’s defence ministry dismisses threat risk as US excuse to expand its own military power
General Stephen Whiting told the US Senate Armed Services Committee on Thursday that Beijing was working to increase its military might in all spheres to become a major global military force.
“[China] is growing its military space and counterspace capabilities at breathtaking pace to deny American and allied space capabilities when they so choose,” Whiting said.
“[It is also] extending its ability to conduct long-range fires, improving the precision and reach, thus the lethality, of its terrestrial forces.”
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China’s defence ministry responded by saying the US was using so-called threats from other nations as an excuse to expand its own military power.