Space Command Boss Wants Military-To-Military Communications With China

COLORADO SPRINGS—The Chinese government has recently proactively shared space safety information twice within the past six months, a positive development after the U.S. has sent data to Beijing without hearing back.

U.S. Space Command boss Gen. Stephen Whiting says he would like to have a direct way to share safety information with China as tensions on orbit have increased. China’s military has recently upped its space-based capabilities rapidly, raising concerns within Washington.

The U.S. military has long sent information to China regarding safe operations on orbit, but “we don’t always hear back,” Whiting told reporters at the Space Symposium here in Colorado Springs. That started to change a little within the past six months with the two communications from China. Whiting did not elaborate on the exact nature of the messages, other than it related to safety.

“That is very positive,” he said, adding the command wants to “continue to build on that.”

Whiting said even in the tense times of the Cold War, the U.S. military had a way to communicate with the Soviet Union. There similarly needs to be a way to directly share information, he said.

The U.S. and Chinese militaries have started speaking more often, following years of halted communications. Most recently, the two militaries resumed the Military Maritime Consultative Agreement, during which operational-level officials raised concerns about unsafe interactions at sea and in the air.