TOKYO (AP):
China's anti-satellite weapons test raised concerns in Asia and the U.S. about the rising militarisation of space and prompted governments to demand explanations from Beijing yesterday, while Russia expressed skepticism about the test.
The United States said China conducted the test earlier this month in which an old Chinese weather satellite was destroyed by a missile.
Analysts said China's weather satellites would travel at about the same altitude as U.S. spy satellites, so the test represented an indirect threat to U.S. defence systems.
A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said he was unaware of such a test.
Liu Jianchao told reporters that he couldn't comment on the reports because he had no knowledge of such a test. He said China supported the peaceful use of space.
Still, officials in Japan and Australia immediately demanded China explain its actions.
Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, who was in New York, said Sydney opposed the test and had called upon Beijing's ambassador to Australia, Madame Fu Ying, for an explanation.
Unusual occurrence
"Our concern about this is that to have a capacity to shoot down satellites in outer space is not consistent with ... the traditional Chinese position of opposition to the militarisation of outer space," he told reporters.
"So we've asked the Chinese for an explanation as to what this may mean," Downer said, adding so far Chinese officials, including the ambassador in Canberra, said they were not aware of the incident.
Dana Perino, deputy White House press secretary, said Friday that Chinese officials have not yet responded to concerns expressed by the U.S.
"We do want cooperation on a civil space strategy, so until we hear back from them or have more information, I don't have any more to add," she said.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Tokyo has asked Beijing for an explanation and stressed the importance of the peaceful use of space.
"We must use space for peace," he told reporters. "We are asking the Chinese government about the test."
