China’s military mouthpiece aimed its rhetoric at Japan’s space ambitions and its new intelligence unit on Thursday, accusing Tokyo of embarking on a space arms race and undermining regional security.
The criticism in two articles in the PLA Daily is the latest salvo in a diplomatic dust-up over the past month that has involved near-daily rebukes from Beijing.
In one of the articles, two researchers from the People’s Liberation Army’s Space Engineering University in Beijing accused Japan of seeking to militarise space.
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“Japan’s accelerated push towards the militarisation of space, through a series of continuous actions, not only departs from its pacifist constitution but also undermines regional and global space security,” the researchers wrote.
“[It will] disrupt the regional strategic balance, trigger a space arms race … and compel neighbouring countries to strengthen countermeasures.”
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Tokyo complains over video of diplomat appearing to bow to Chinese official
Tokyo complains over video of diplomat appearing to bow to Chinese official
Japan has ramped up its space activities in recent years in response to what it sees as a growing threat from China and Russia.