 The Obama administration’s National Space Policy affirms that Washington will “consider proposals and concepts for arms control measures if they are equitable, effectively verifiable and enhance the national security of the United States and its allies.” The President is pictured above in London with Chinese President Hu Jintao. (mfa.gov.cn) |
Efforts to mitigate space debris generated by normal space operations will be subverted if space powers, such as China and the United States, resume weapons testing. John Clay Moltz of the Center for Non-Proliferation Studies at the Monterrey Institute and Joan Johnson-Freeze of the Naval War College contend that international activity in space can be shaped to become a positive sum game for all nations.
They urge the U.S. to pursue a policy of cooperative threat reduction toward China and other potential space rivals. China has expressed an interest in space cooperation with the U.S. If NASA and private American space companies were to capitalize on this interest and partner with China on select projects, they could shape that nation’s space policy in ways that are more congenial to U.S. interests. |
Space Diplomacy
