Russia, China hold talks on ‘peaceful’ space cooperation

Discussions focused on ensuring the long-term “safety of space activities,” according to foreign ministry in Moscow

Russia and China have held talks on a wide range of issues relating to the use and exploration of outer space for “peaceful purposes,” agreeing to boost cooperation in the sector.

According to a press release by the Russian Foreign Ministry on Thursday, the meeting in Moscow covered areas including international legal regulation, “ensuring the long-term sustainability and safety of space activities,” and the agenda of the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space.

“An agreement was reached to strengthen coordination in this area both bilaterally and at specialized multilateral platforms,” the statement reads.

Moscow and Beijing have been strengthening outer-space cooperation in recent years, setting up a commission on satellite navigation and making an agreement on space technology intellectual property.

In 2019, the two countries decided to establish a data center for lunar and deep-space exploration focused on the Moon and Mars. In June this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law ratifying an agreement with China on the construction of an International Lunar Research Station (ILRS). A dozen countries have joined or applied to join this initiative, including Azerbaijan, Belarus, Egypt and Türkiye.

In March, the chief of Russian space agency Roscosmos Yury Borisov revealed that the two countries are “seriously considering” a joint project to install a nuclear power station on the Moon within the next decade, to generate electricity for a future lunar settlement.

Talk of a lunar reactor comes amid growing speculation about a modern-day space race, between the US and its allies on one side and Russia and China on the other.

Moscow and Beijing have repeatedly outlined the need for joint efforts to prevent an arms race in outer space.

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Space chief outlines Russia-China ‘expansion’ plans

US Space Command chief General Stephen Whiting has claimed that China is developing its space-based military capabilities at a “breathtaking” pace, while the Chinese Defense Ministry has warned that Washington is leading a dangerous push to transform outer space into a future battlefield.

The US is already working with Canada, Australia and the UK on Operation Olympic Defender, a program intended to “optimize space operations,” according to the Space Command. Germany, France and New Zealand have been invited to join as well.

In February, US House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner alleged that Russia was seeking to deploy a missile interceptor in space – possibly with a nuclear warhead – to boost its anti-satellite capabilities. Moscow has dismissed the claim, President Vladimir Putin saying that Washington was using false claims to gain negotiating leverage on limiting space-based weaponry.

Roscosmos has also insisted that Russia has no plans to station nuclear weapons in space.