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Japan's first space defense guidelines hyping Chinese, Russian 'killer satellites' distort facts, find excuse for Tokyo's space weaponization: expert

Global Times

By Liu Xuanzun and Liang Rui Published: Jul 29, 2025 12:31 PM

Japan's Defense Ministry on Monday released its first guidelines allegedly aimed at enhancing its defense in outer space, using so-called "killer satellites" developed by China and Russia as excuses, according to media reports on Tuesday. A Chinese expert said that Japan's rhetoric distorted the facts about China's peaceful space activities and unjustly smeared China on the topic of space development.

Japan's release of the "space domain defense guidelines" is a move claimed to "brace for increasing activities by China and Russia in the new domain of warfare," according to Japanese media outlet Kyodo News on Tuesday.

In the guidelines, the Japanese Defense Ministry asserted that some countries, including China and Russia, have been advancing the development of "killer satellites," which Japanese side claimed are designed to neutralize or destroy the space assets of other countries, according to Kyodo News.

The Japanese guidelines claimed that countries including China and Russia conducted tests on rendezvous and proximity operations of satellites, which the Japanese side claims contribute to the development of "killer satellites."

China has always been committed to the peaceful use of outer space, opposes the weaponization of outer space and arms race, according to a statement about the prevention of outer space weaponization published on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry and updated on April this year, highlighting China's active efforts for the negotiation of relevant legal instruments by the international community including Russia.

Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military affairs expert, dismissed the Japanese claims as a hype of "China threat" rhetoric to promote Japan's militarization in outer space. He told the Global Times on Tuesday that the Japanese guideline deliberately misinterpreted China's normal, peaceful space activities.

There have been media reports suggesting China is developing in-orbit refueling and repair among other capabilities, which require close proximity operations between satellites. Scientific tests like these, if confirmed, could greatly extend a satellite's service life and enhance its economic value. It is wrong to label such a satellite as a "killer satellite" or assume weapon purposes simply because one satellite approaches another, Fu said.

The Japanese guidelines further claimed that Japan's Self-Defense Force and Japanese private companies should boost defense capabilities of satellites. Japan also plans to boost its capabilities in detecting other countries' missile launches, securing satellite communications and jamming other countries' communications, Yomiuri Shimbun, another Japanese media outlet, reported on Tuesday.

In response to Japan's defense development plans and its hype of "China threat" rhetoric, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Jiang Bin said at a press briefing on July 16 that Japan, in an attempt to find excuse for its military expansion, had fabricated false narratives, grossly hyped the "China threat."

Japanese militarism once inflicted profound suffering on China and other Asian neighbors. Instead of seriously reflecting on its past, Japan is once again showing dangerous tendencies toward military expansion - significantly increasing its defense budget, steadily loosening restrictions on arms exports, forming small military blocs to promote confrontation, and even suggesting revisions to its Three Non-Nuclear Principles. These actions gravely violate Japan's Peace Constitution and its exclusively defense-oriented policy, severely undermine the post-war international order, and pose a serious challenge to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. They have already triggered deep concern and heightened vigilance among neighboring Asian countries and the broader international community, Jiang said.

We urge Japan to profoundly learn from historical lessons, stop smearing and accusing China, and take concrete actions to promote the sound and stable development of China-Japan relations, the Chinese spokesperson said.