China tells US to ‘stop preparing for war' in Space after Washington reveals orbital weapons

China has told the United States to “stop preparing for war” in space after Washington admitted for the first time that it already has weapons deployed in orbit.

The warning came after US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink revealed that the Space Force has “on-orbit space control weapons” capable of protecting American forces against hostile action.

The exact nature of those weapons have not been revealed but the announcement has drawn an immediate response from both China and Russia, major rivals to the US space program.

Chinese Foreign Minister Guo Jiakun said: “We urge the US side to stop expanding its military capabilities and preparing for war in outer space.”

He warned against the weaponisation of outer space, turning it into a battlefield and starting an arms race.

Earlier, the US Space Force said China is developing “space and counterspace capabilities” as part of its military modernisation, while Russia considers space a potential warfighting domain.

Moscow has now hit back as well, as Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Washington of ignoring the potentially catastrophic consequences for humanity of a war in orbit.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov separately called for space to remain “free of any weapons.”

The US says its orbital capabilities can be used both defensively and offensively, but has stopped short of revealing whether they can physically destroy other satellites.

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty bans nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in orbit, but does not impose a blanket ban on conventional space weapons.