Foreign Ministry: The US satellite approached the Chinese space station twice this year, and the astronauts were inside the station at the time

On December 28, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian presided over a regular press conference. A reporter asked a question, and the official website of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space released a message saying that on December 3, the Chinese Permanent Mission to the United Nations and other international organizations in Vienna sent a note verbale to the Secretary-General of the United Nations, informing them that the Starlink satellite launched by the US Space Exploration Technology Corporation (SpaceX) has approached the Chinese space station twice this year, posing a threat to the lives and health of astronauts carried by the Chinese space station. Can the spokesperson confirm that? Previously, as a party to the Outer Space Treaty, what international responsibilities should the United States bear for related activities?

Zhao Lijian said that I can responsibly confirm to you that in July and October this year, the Starlink satellite launched by the US Space Exploration Technology Company approached the Chinese space station twice. During this period, Chinese astronauts are on missions inside the space station. For safety reasons, the Chinese space station has taken emergency collision avoidance measures.

Zhao Lijian introduced that the 1967 Outer Space Treaty is recognized as the current international law in the field of outer space. The Treaty stipulates that astronauts are envoys sent to outer space by all mankind, and states shall respect and protect the safety of astronauts and notify the Secretary-General of the United Nations or other States parties of phenomena found in outer space that pose a danger to the life or health of astronauts. States should also be held accountable for all outer space activities of their domestic private companies. In order to fulfill its treaty obligations and safeguard the safety of astronauts' lives, the Chinese Government, through the Permanent Mission of China in Vienna, informed the Secretary-General of the United Nations on the above-mentioned dangerous situation and the measures taken by the Chinese side on December 3, and requested the Secretary-General to inform the States parties.

In conclusion, Zhao Lijian stressed that the United States claims the concept of so-called responsible outer space behavior, but it ignores the obligations of international treaties in outer space, posing a serious threat to the safety of astronauts' lives, which is a typical double standard.