US admits weapons are in orbit — Why China is warning of a new space arms race

China has warned the US against expanding its military presence in space after Washington publicly acknowledged that the US Space Force has operational weapons in orbit. Beijing said the move could increase the risk of an arms race in outer space.

US Space Force weapons in orbit spark China warning over a possible space arms race. (Unsplash/ Representational)China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing has always supported the peaceful use of outer space and the protection of space security. Guo said China opposes any arms race in space, attempts to weaponise space, or efforts to turn space into a battlefield.

Guo directly called on the US to stop expanding its military buildup in outer space. He said Washington should take concrete steps to protect global strategic stability. The Chinese warning came just one day after US Air Force Secretary Troy Meink said that the US Space Force now has weapons in orbit that can respond to threats from rival countries, according to The Express Tribune.

Meink made the announcement at the Air, Space and Cyber Conference on Monday. He said the US needs to stay prepared for growing threats wherever they appear, including in space. Meink said the Space Force has “on-orbit space control weapons” that are capable of protecting US military forces from hostile actions by adversaries, as noted by The Express Tribune.

The announcement is important because the US had not previously publicly acknowledged that operational weapons were deployed in orbit. The new statement confirms that Washington has moved beyond simply developing or testing counter-space capabilities. However, Meink did not reveal when the weapons became operational. He also refused to explain exactly what the weapons can do.

The US secretary also did not say whether the systems use kinetic impactors, directed energy, electronic warfare or cyber capabilities. This leaves major questions about what kind of weapons are actually operating in orbit.

Meink later told reporters that the decision to publicly acknowledge the weapons was deliberate. He said the wording used by the military had been carefully chosen to strengthen US deterrence.

Meink said revealing more details could actually weaken that deterrence. He argued that the US does not want to tell potential rivals exactly what its space weapons can do. He also refused to say whether the weapons have already been tested. Meink said the US would not discuss whether the systems had been tested, what they had been tested against, or other operational details, according to The Express Tribune.

The US position is that space has become critical to both military and economic security. Modern militaries and economies depend heavily on satellites for communications, navigation, intelligence and other services.

Meink said the US wants to make sure it can operate freely in space even when facing threats. He also stressed that maintaining US dominance in space remains a major military priority. Meink said the US has taken steps to make sure it can respond if it is threatened in space. This shows that Washington sees space not only as an area for peaceful satellite operations but also as an important part of future military competition.

The announcement comes as the US, China and Russia are competing to build stronger counter-space capabilities. All three countries have developed or are developing technologies that could interfere with, disable or attack space-based systems.

This competition matters because satellites are now essential to communications, navigation, intelligence gathering and military operations. Any major attack on satellites could therefore affect both military forces and important civilian systems.

The biggest concern is that one country's new space weapons could push its rivals to develop their own weapons. China and Russia could respond to the US deployment by increasing their own counter-space programmes. That could create a new cycle of military buildup in orbit — with each country developing more weapons because it fears the capabilities of the others.

Security experts have warned that the US decision to publicly confirm operational weapons in orbit could therefore speed up an already growing space arms race. There is also a legal issue.

The 1967 Outer Space Treaty bans countries from placing nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction in orbit. But it does not clearly prohibit conventional weapons from being placed in space, according to The Express Tribune.

This means the US disclosure does not automatically mean Washington has violated the Outer Space Treaty. The key question is what type of weapons have actually been deployed and how they are being used.

China is therefore warning about something bigger than the US announcement itself: the possibility that space could increasingly become another major military battlefield. Beijing’s message is that the US should not keep expanding its military capabilities in orbit because doing so could encourage other countries to follow the same path.

The central fear is a space arms race: the US develops more weapons to protect its satellites and military systems, China and Russia respond with stronger counter-space weapons, and all three countries continue building capabilities because they do not want to fall behind.

For now, the US has revealed very little about the actual orbital weapons. But the public acknowledgment itself is significant because Washington has openly said that the Space Force has operational systems capable of conducting “space control” missions.

China’s warning shows how sensitive the announcement is. As more military and economic activity depends on satellites, any increase in weapons in orbit could raise the risk of confrontation — and potentially turn space into a much more dangerous military domain.

Durva More is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times, where she covers finance, and global news. She brings experience across digital and television journalism, with a strong focus on breaking news, business reporting, and international affairs. Before joining Hindustan Times, Durva worked as an International News Writer at The Economic Times, covering a diverse range of subjects including global politics, business, sports, entertainment, and major world events. She also worked as a Business Reporter with NDTV Profit. A postgraduate diploma holder in Journalism from the Asian College of Journalism, Durva is passionate about field reporting and storytelling. She thrives on the adrenaline of chasing stories, speaking with people from different walks of life, and amplifying voices that deserve to be heard. Her reporting is driven by curiosity, accuracy, and a commitment to making complex subjects accessible to readers. When she is not chasing stories or covering breaking news, Durva enjoys reading books and painting. She loves exploring new ideas, meeting people, and learning about different perspectives. For her, both journalism and art are ways to understand the world and tell stories that matter.Read More