China has cautioned former President Donald Trump and the United States following Trump’s announcement of a new missile defense initiative termed the ‘Golden Dome.’ This plan was unveiled by Trump from the White House’s Oval Office on Tuesday, May 20. He expressed his intention to expedite the development of this program, which aims to deploy U.S. weapons in space for the first time.
The Golden Dome is designed to allow the U.S. to intercept missiles, “even if they are launched from space,” as explained by Trump. General Michael Guetlein, currently serving as the vice chief of space operations, is tasked with managing the implementation of the Golden Dome, which is projected to cost $175 billion.
This initiative follows concerns raised by the Pentagon over advanced missile capabilities developed by China and Russia. The Golden Dome’s primary objective is to detect and neutralize missiles at four specific stages.
Pentagon planners have explored various interceptor options over several months, with a U.S. official, as reported by the PA News Agency, noting that they considered ‘medium, high, and extra high choices’ based on costs. These options differ in terms of satellites, sensors, and space-based interceptors.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, the space-based elements of the program could amount to $542 billion over two decades. Trump has requested an initial investment of $25 billion for the program.
In response to Trump’s announcement, Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, expressed concerns about the potential impacts and outcomes of the Golden Dome. Mao described the Golden Dome as having ‘strong offensive implications’ and warned it could lead to the militarization of outer space.
Mao also cautioned that the program might trigger an arms race. The spokesperson remarked, “The United States, in pursuing a ‘US-first’ policy, is obsessed with seeking absolute security for itself. This violates the principle that the security of all countries should not be compromised and undermines global strategic balance and stability. China is seriously concerned about this.” Mao urged Washington to reconsider and abandon the development of the Golden Dome.
With China and Russia having already deployed offensive weapons in space, such as satellites capable of disabling key U.S. satellites, the United States finds itself vulnerable to such threats. General Chance Saltzman, leader of the U.S. Space Force, remarked that the Golden Dome and its arsenal address “new and emerging requirements for missions that have never before been accomplished by military space organizations.” Nevertheless, Air Force Secretary Troy Meink has indicated that the program remains “in the conceptual stage” at present.