China’s Position on strengthening outer space governance

Outer space serves as a new frontier and a new home for the survival and development of humanity. The exploration of the vast universe and the peaceful uses of outer space represent a common aspiration of all humanity. It bears on the economic, scientific and technological development, national security and social progress of all countries, and the well-being of all humanity. The achievements of outer space exploration should benefit all countries.

With the advances in space science and technology and their wide applications, the frequency, density and depth of space exploration, development and utilization activities have increased to an extent that the existing international legal regime in the field of outer space is increasingly lagging behind. The prominent issue of imbalanced and inadequate space capabilities of different countries and the limited access of developing countries to space science and technology hinder the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Actors in outer space are diverse, giving rise to acute everyday regulatory challenges and growing security risks. The risk of an arms race in outer space and the trend of turning outer space into a new theater of conflict have become the gravest threat and challenge to space security. Strengthening global space governance is an urgent issue for humanity and the shared responsibility of all States.

In this context, China advocates that States should take the common values of humanity as the fundamental guidance, uphold sovereign equality, and abide by the international rule of law, practice multilateralism, and advance a people-centered and action-oriented approach. The development and security, as well as the stability and sustainability of outer space, should be pursued in a balanced way, with a view to building a community with a shared future for humanity in outer space for the good of all.

…Committing to openness and shared benefit. Given that outer space is the shared domain of all humanity, States are encouraged to provide public goods and services to deliver the benefits of space exploration for all. The Space2030 Agenda of the UN should be implemented with special attention given to the capacity building and application needs of developing countries, and joint research, technological cooperation and personnel training, among others, should be actively pursued. Efforts should be made to accelerate the transformation of space technology achievements for improved livelihoods, and further integrate it into such areas as disaster prevention and mitigation, emergency relief, and climate response.

…Respecting the rights of all States. The right of all States to have equitable access to outer space and to explore and use it without discrimination should be safeguarded, and the use of outer space for actions that jeopardize the sovereignty, security and development of other States should be opposed. States’ sovereignty, security and other legitimate rights and interests relating to national space assets, activities and personnel should be respected.

…Abiding by the international rule of law. States should uphold the international order in outer space based on international law, including the Outer Space Treaty, ensure the equal and universal application of international law, and develop relevant international law and rules on the basis of general consensus. It is important to stay committed to the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes, and oppose the weaponisation of outer space or turning it into a new theater of conflict. No State should be allowed to abuse its domestic law to erect barriers against or impose unilateral sanctions on other States’ outer space activities.

…Advancing innovation and development. States should support space research and technological innovation applications, including on-orbit servicing, deep space exploration and near-Earth asteroid defense, and enhance academic exchange, talent training and infrastructure development to better serve economic and social progress. It is necessary to encourage and support, under State supervision, broad participation in space exploration and innovation, in accordance with the law and regulations, by various entities such as research institutes, enterprises, institutions of higher learning, and social organizations.

…Safeguarding common security. States should adhere to the principle of indivisible security in outer space, reaffirm the interdependence of the security interests of all countries in outer space, and take into account the legitimate security concerns of other States in seeking their own security in outer space. It is important to uphold rules and order, take a comprehensive and holistic approach, maintain equilibrium of interests and exercise self-restraint, and in this spirit, build consensus through dialogue and cooperation, and foster a comprehensive governance framework for outer space security to maintain peace and stability in outer space.

…Preventing armed conflicts. States should oppose offensive military policies in outer space and take all possible measures to prevent an arms race in outer space. The principle of refraining from threat or use of force in international relations and the prevention of the threat or use of force against outer space objects should be reaffirmed to avoid armed conflict in outer space. Support should be given for the conclusion of an international legal instrument on arms control in outer space.

…Reducing misunderstanding and misperception. Appropriate and feasible transparency and confidence-building measures should be adopted to enhance mutual trust and reduce misperception. States are encouraged to increase dialogue on outer space security, communicate and exchange information on their outer space strategic policies and activities, provide necessary notification of space launches, collision alerts, and reentry of space objects including space debris, and earnestly fulfill their international obligation regarding space objects registration. Crisis prevention and management should be strengthened.

…Regulating commercial space activity. States, while encouraging the development of the outer space economy, should establish and improve a national regulatory regime that ensures commercial space activities are carried out in strict compliance with relevant national and international law, so as not to infringe on the legitimate rights and interests of other States and in particular, to avoid intervention in the armed conflicts and internal affairs of other States in an unlawful way.

…Deepening international cooperation. States should remain action-oriented, and translate consensus on outer space cooperation into practical action to jointly advance space development. It is important to promote international exchange and cooperation in space science, space technology and space applications, oppose discriminatory policies and barriers, and support the establishment of bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation mechanisms. International coordination and cooperation in priority areas such as space traffic and debris mitigation should be strengthened.

…Promoting global governance. States should act in the spirit of extensive consultation and joint contribution for shared benefit, and uphold the United Nations as the main channel of global governance in outer space. Other multilateral mechanisms and professional bodies are encouraged to play a constructive role in keeping with their mission. Avoid any discriminatory and exclusive arrangement, and increase the representation and voice of developing countries. Efforts should be made to build an open, equitable and effective governance mechanism based on broad participation. (Xinhua)