US-Japan Space Cooperation: A Facade for Hegemonic Ambitions
By Global Times – Dec 11, 2o24
According to Spacenews, during the Spacepower Conference on December 10, Anthony Mastalir, commander of US Space Forces Indo-Pacific, stated that China’s advanced satellite capabilities are “a pressing concern” for both the US and Japan, prompting the two countries to strengthen their partnership and prepare to counteract these “threats.” The collaboration includes advancing shared capabilities in space object surveillance in order to track increasingly sophisticated Chinese satellites capable of dynamically altering their orbits.
By claiming to be “countering China,” the US plans to deploy advanced monitoring equipment on Japanese satellites as a so-called defensive measure to track Chinese satellite trajectories, while accusing China of “posing a threat.” This strategy aims to justify the US’ expanding militarization of space and its development of space warfare capabilities, using China as a fictitious adversary, an anonymous military expert told the Global Times.
In the “Indo-Pacific” region, the US is strengthening its military presence and drawing allies into its geopolitical framework, thereby driving a new round of space arms races. According to Japan’s Asahi Shimbun, a US Space Command opened at the US Yokota Air Base in western Tokyo on December 4, aiming to “strengthen Japan-US cooperation.” The US is expanding its space influence through military alliances, seeking to leverage Japan’s technological and economic strength to help secure its space dominance.
At the same time, however, the US seeks to limit Japan’s technological independence, wary that any significant advancement could challenge its global hegemony.
The anonymous expert said the US’ attempt to control Japan’s space technology significantly limits Japan’s ability to independently develop its space capabilities. For instance, in order to monitor Chinese satellites, the US has required Japan to deploy American-made sensors on the QZSS satellites, Japan’s version of GPS. This not only compromises Japan’s technological autonomy but also gives the US substantial control over Japan’s space activities, the expert said, noting that the US’ involvement in Japan’s high-tech fields, including aerospace, will help ensure the US’ total dominance over space technology.
At the conference, Mastalir emphasized “maintaining peace and stability” in the “Indo-Pacific” region, a statement that is ironically double-standard. While the US openly defines outer space as a “war-fighting domain” and continues to expand its space forces, it simultaneously uses China’s normal space activities as an excuse to incite tension and escalate great-power confrontation, forming militarized space alliances. This is escalating regional tensions and increasing the potential for military conflict, rather than “maintaining peace.”
The US aims to dominate all key strategic areas, particularly in space, to secure space dominance and control the high frontier strategy, enabling it to look down on other countries and exert influence over them. The US has continuously propagated the “China space threat theory,” slandering and defaming China. In fact, the US itself is the biggest driver of the militarization and weaponization of outer space, and the greatest threat to space security.
China has long advocated for the peaceful use of space and is actively promoting international cooperation while firmly opposing the weaponization of space and the space arms race. In contrast, some major powers frequently hype up the “China threat” to cover their own ambitions for space expansion. They continue to push for the militarization and weaponization of space, severely threatening space security. This contradicts the peaceful original intent of space exploration and harms both regional and global interests. Space is a shared asset for all humanity. It should serve as a platform for cooperation and mutual trust, rather than becoming a battleground for great-power rivalry.
