BEIJING, July 14 -- "It is a typical cognitive dissonance for some people in the US to worry about falling behind on the one hand, but manage to show self-confidence on the other," said Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, spokesperson for China's Ministry of National Defense, when responding to media questions on Friday.
Senior Colonel Tan made the remarks when asked to comment on a US military commander's words about the space race. According to reports, the commander of US Space Command said in an interview that despite concerns about the US's lagging behind China in the space race, Pentagon is still confident in its capabilities.
It is known to all that the US has picked up speed in militarizing outer space over recent years, blatantly defined the outer space as a war-fighting domain, built the US Space Force and Space Command, developed and deployed space-based offensive weapons, organized offensive and defensive military exercises and technology tests, formed cliques of space alliance, and stonewalled the process of space arms control. All these have taken a serious toll on space security and global strategic stability, said the spokesperson.
Spokesperson Tan noted that the starry space allows no flames of war spread by war-mongers, and reiterated that China stands for peaceful use of outer space, firmly opposes weaponizing it or turning it into a battlefield, and is against any form of arms race in it. This position has not changed and will not change.
"We urge the US side to stop being so wound-up and anxious, respect the common aspiration of the international community, stop provoking an arms race, and work with other countries to jointly preserve enduring peace and security in the outer space," stressed the spokesperson.