The United States and China have made “significant progress” on space security and sustainability issues in recent years, according to a key State Department official.
Assistant Secretary of State for Arms Control, Verification and Compliance Frank Rose said July 21 the U.S. and China, at a bilateral strategic and economic dialogue in June, agreed to establish both a civil space dialogue and a separate space security exchange. Rose said the first U.S.-China space security exchange, which he co-chaired with his Chinese counterpart from the ministry of foreign affairs, was held in May in Washington.
At the May meeting, Rose said the two nations had a very “frank” exchange of views on a variety of issues, including multi-lateral diplomatic efforts, updates to national space policies and strategies and options to mitigate debris and prevent collisions in outer space. Rose said the U.S. and China capitalized on progress from this May meeting at a June U.S.-China strategic and economic dialogue held in Beijing, agreeing to a number of space deliverables.
These deliverables, Rose said, included a commitment by the two nations to work together and promote international space security, including exploring additional confidence building measures and agreement to convene a second space security exchange before the end of 2016. Rose said he was in Beijing as recently as two weeks previously for consultations on a wide variety of issues, including space security.
Rose said, in addition, the first U.S.-China civil dialogue, co-chaired by the State Department and China’s national space agency, was held in Beijing in September 2015. Both delegations included inter-agency members and representatives from both nation’s defense ministries or departments.