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US Aims for Space Supremacy Pose Potential Threats to Russia, China - Ambassador

© Courtesy of the US Air Force Space CommandA ULA Atlas V rocket carrying the AEHF-4 mission for the U.S. Air Force is rolled from the Vertical Integration Facility to the launch pad at Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex-41.
A ULA Atlas V rocket carrying the AEHF-4 mission for the U.S. Air Force is rolled from the Vertical Integration Facility to the launch pad at Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex-41. - Sputnik International
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MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Russian Ambassador to China Andrey Denisov commented on the issues of the US military space aspirations, Chinese President Xi Jinping visit to Russia and China-US trade tensions.

Washington's aspirations to dominate in military space may potentially pose risks to security of Russia and China, Russian Ambassador to China Andrey Denisov told Russian reporters.

"Indeed, our US partners… lay claims to some dominant positions, including military space, which, of course, poses certain potential threats to both China, Russia and all countries," the ambassador said.

READ MORE: China Warns US Against ‘Turning Space Into the New Battleground'

Russia and China have similar stance regarding the need to reach agreements on the creation of an international control system and restrictions on the deployment of weapons in space, Denisov said.

"We have quite an active dialogue in international organizations about some forms of control over the weapons' deployment in space… The deployment of offensive weapons is something that can be subject to a system of regulations on the international basis… If the matter has any possible solution, it has nothing to do with boosting technical potential… but is related to reaching certain agreements that would restrict this process, place it within a reasonable framework. And that is the issue we share similar views with China on," Denisov indicated.

In 2008, Russia and China put forward for the discussion at the Disarmament Conference the draft Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space, the Threat or Use of Force Against Outer Space Objects. The document sought to maintain outer space free of weapons and open for peaceful research by all states without exception.

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Earlier, US President Donald Trump called for the establishment of "Space Command," a new US Department of Defense branch that would effectively have control over US military operations in space.

In October, US Vice President Mike Pence told the first meeting of the newly revived National Space Council that the United States needed to be as dominant in space as it is on Earth, because Washington's adversaries were actively developing "jamming, hacking and other technologies intended to cripple military surveillance navigation communications systems."

Chinese Leader Xi to Visit Russia

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Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to Russia during which he will participate in the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), Denisov said.

“It is already known that the Chinese president will visit St. Petersburg to attend the St. Petersburg Economic Forum, and will certainly also be the main guest there… [Xi] will attend the SPIEF during his, as it is called in China, state visit to Russia,” Denisov said.

“We consider Vladimir Putin’s visit to China to participate in the second Belt and Road forum to be the first major event of the first half of next year," Denisov added.

In early December, Russian President Vladimir Putin told Xi that Russia was preparing for the latter's visit and invited him to visit the SPIEF as the main guest. The next SPIEF will be held on June 6–8, 2019.

Meeting of Russian, Chinese Government Heads

Annual meeting of Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev and Chinese State Council Premier Li Keqiang may be organized earlier than usual next year, Andrey Denisov told Russian reporters.

READ MORE: China Conducts First Test of Russian S-400 Air Defence Systems — Reports

"Discussions are already underway on the 24th regular meeting of the heads of government. This time it will take place in Russia, perhaps a little earlier than usual. In recent years, these meetings were convened in November, or even in early December. This time, since it’s already cold in December and November, maybe this meeting will be somewhat earlier," the diplomat said.

In 2018, the meeting took place on November 7 in Beijing.

China-US Trade Tensions

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Russia is interested in the elimination of trade tensions between the United States and China since it is important for the stable energy cooperation between Moscow and Beijing, Andrey Denisov stressed.

"The world's trade is currently evidencing tectonic shifts, there is even such a term as 'trade war' between China and the United States, though, it has subsided a bit following agreements reached by the leaders of the two countries at G20 summit in Argentina… We, obviously, want the disputed issues to be resolved, especially since [the solutions] can be found if balanced approaches are utilized," Denisov said.

He indicated that Russia exported raw materials to China in large quantities.

"If China's economic growth slows down it will immediately affect its need for energy… [Now] we see increase in deliveries, but anyway, stability, predictability of global trade, the ability to plan economic processes which envisages trade exchanges over a considerable period of time, are good for all," Denisov stated.

US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to de-escalate their countries' trade war during their meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires.

Trump agreed to suspend plans to raise tariffs on $200 billion worth Chinese products from 10 percent to 25 percent in order to pave the way for trade talks with Beijing, but warned that if the negotiations did not succeed within three months, the tariffs would be imposed as planned. The United States then agreed to postpone the increased tariffs' imposition until March 2.

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