China Warns Unchecked Starlink Expansion Poses Growing Threat to Space Security

DID Press: China has raised concerns at an informal UNSC meeting over the rapid and uncontrolled expansion of the Starlink satellite constellation. Beijing warned that unilateral commercial activities in space, conducted without binding international regulations, pose a real threat to global peace and space security.

A Chinese representative cited two serious incidents in 2021 and 2022 when Starlink satellites approached China’s space station dangerously, endangering Chinese astronauts and highlighting the potential catastrophic consequences of inadequate regulations.

The representative also stressed that SpaceX’s mass satellite deployments are crowding orbital slots and frequency bands, significantly increasing the risk of collisions, which could disrupt global communications and space infrastructure.

China called for the establishment of clear, binding international rules to manage space activities, cautioning that continued unregulated expansion risks escalating competition in space beyond commercial interests into a more tense and unstable domain.