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United States Space Force Commander Gen. Chance Saltzman said Monday that collaborating on space exploration with China would reduce tensions between the two countries.
Saltzman told Reuters there have been “internal discussions” within the Biden administration about setting up a “direct line of communication” or “crisis hotline” between the U.S. Space Force and the China National Space Administration.
“What we have talked about on the U.S. side at least is opening up a line of communication to make sure that if there is a crisis, we know who we can contact,” he said.
Saltzman said it would be up to the Biden White House and State Department to negotiate such an arrangement with China. The Chinese might need some convincing since the Space Force established a branch in South Korea last year and held talks in Tokyo this week about opening a branch in Japan.
Beijing frequently complains that the United States is dragging South Korea and Japan into an anti-China alliance or “Asian NATO” because Washington is gripped by a “Cold War mentality” that sees China as the new Soviet Union.
Saltzman said close cooperation with South Korea and Japan was necessary to monitor China’s “gray zone activities” in space.
“We have to be able to have those indications and warnings and see what they’re doing and call them on the intent,” he said, which is both very reasonable and guaranteed to infuriate Beijing.
