CHINA: China concerned by U.S. plan to shoot down ailing satellite with missile

Record ID: 605200

  • Title: CHINA: China concerned by U.S. plan to shoot down ailing satellite with missile
  • Date: 21st February 2008
  • Summary: (ASIA) BEIJING, CHINA (FEBRUARY 21, 2008) (REUTERS) CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN LIU JIANCHAO ENTERING PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) LIU JIANCHAO, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN, SAYING: "China continues to closely monitor the possible damage to security in outer space and to other countries by the move of the United States. We demand that the U.S. fulfill its international obligations and swiftly brief the international community with necessary data and information in time, so that relevant countries can take preventative measures." PRESS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Mandarin) LIU JIANCHAO, CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SPOKESMAN, SAYING: "The rights of people, development and the political and democratic freedom for the Chinese people have been continuously improving and developing. In regards to the efforts to improve human rights, China made them before the Olympics, makes them during the Olympics and will make them after the Olympics." JOURNALISTS LISTENING
  • Embargoed: 7th March 2008 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: China
  • Country: China
  • Topics: International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVACNQMKN1W7R9JCSISJ5IFVP1JV
  • Story Text: China is closely following a move by the United States to shoot down an ailing satellite by missile, asking for transparent information from the U.S. on action and planning preventative measures.
    "China continues to closely monitor the possible damage to security in outer space and to other countries by the move of the United States. We demand that the U.S. fulfill its international obligations and swiftly brief the international community with necessary data and information in time, so that relevant countries can take preventative measures," Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Liu Jianchao told a press conference on Thursday (February 21).
    A leading Chinese newspaper has accused the United States of hypocrisy in criticising other nations' space ambitions while rejecting a proposed space treaty and firing a missile to destroy one of its own satellites.
    The United States hit one of its own dying spy satellites with a missile on Wednesday, Washington time -- Thursday in Beijing -- citing fears that a normal re-entry would risk lives.
    Earlier this month, Russia and China proposed a treaty to ban weapons in space and the use or threat of force against satellites and other spacecraft.
    But Washington rejected the proposal as unworkable and said it instead favours confidence-building efforts, the New York Times reported.
    Spokesman Liu was also optimistic about China's human rights record, saying the government has been making efforts in the filed for decades, rather than for the sake of the Olympics.
    "The rights of people, development and the political and democratic freedom for the Chinese people have been continuously improving and developing. In regards to the efforts to improve human rights, China made them before the Olympics, makes them during the Olympics and will make them after the Olympics."
    said Spokesman Liu.
    China is under pressure to improve its records on human rights. Some international organizations and rights groups criticised China over its control on press freedom, its policy on ethnic minority groups and so on.
    China's position on the Darfur issue and its close relationship with the Sudanese government are also targeted by human rights campaigners.
    China said the Olympics are a sport event and should not be linked to politics.
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