China urges the U.S. side to reflect on its negative moves in the space domain, stop hyping up "China threat" and space confrontation, and instead take an active part in international space arms control, said Senior Colonel Tan Kefei, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, at a regular press conference on Thursday.

The spokesperson made the remarks while asked to comment on the reports about the Commander of the U.S. Space Command who recently called China a pacing challenge to the U.S. for its continuously growing capabilities that hold America's space assets at risk.

"The US believes that anyone's growing capabilities pose a threat to itself, which is void of any logic or sense," Tan said, adding that it is essentially an excuse for the U.S. to weaponize space, turn it into a battlefield, and seek space domination while shifting the blame to others. 

China strongly opposes such sinister tricks of spreading the "China threat" theory in the space domain, Tan said.

He added that China sticks to peaceful utilization of space and stays committed to preventing space weaponization and arms race, and promoting international cooperation in space. 

Not long ago, China announced that its space station would be open to all UN member states in an effort to create a space home for all mankind, which has been highly commended in the international community.

"This poses a sharp contrast to what certain country has done – blatantly defining space as a war domain, forming the space command and space force, aggressively developing and deploying offensive space weapons, and frequently conducting military offensive and defensive exercises and technological experiments. The world sees clearly who is preserving peace and promoting cooperation, and who is stirring up competition and clamoring for confrontation," Tan said.

China stands ready to work with all countries and regions that are committed to the peaceful utilization of space to intensify communication and deepen cooperation, promote a community with a shared future for mankind in space, and make greater contributions to lasting peace, common security in space and the development of human civilization, he said. 

(Cover: The space station lab module Mengtian is ready to be launched from Wenchang Spacecraft Launch Site on the coast of south China's Hainan Province, October 31, 2022. /CFP)