China, Russia propose to ban weapon use in space

Source: CCTV.com | 02-14-2008 09:02

Russia and China have proposed a new treaty to ban the use of weapons in space at the UN disarmament conference in Geneva. The United States immediately rejected the proposal.

Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi stressed the importance of preventing an arms race in space. He also urged member states to consider the draft seriously and reach an agreement on it.

The treaty is intended to eliminate existing gaps in international space law, create conditions for the further exploration and use of space, preserve costly space property and strengthen general security and arms controls.

Foreign Minister of Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov said, "The deployment of weapons in space by one country will inevitably result in a chain reaction. The danger we would face is that the arms race will escalate, both in space and on earth."

Editor:Zhang Ning