China warns of 'arms race in outer space'

Give China full credit for being disingenuous.

First off, define "outer space."

Second, define "arms race."

Third, let's talk about "space weapons." Almost anything that operates in, to, through, or from space can have the effect of being a weapon. Including the space shuttle.

Finally, let's talk about "peaceful purposes" regarding space.

Is it a peaceful use of space if we use the space domain to stop an adversary's nuclear weapons from hitting the United States? Speaking for myself, I'm thinking...yes.

"N0 arms race in outer space" is Chinese code for "no missile defense." China has made a massive investment in short range missiles and many of them are available for use against Taiwan. These missiles are also useful against other neighbors, even if it is just to sustain the existent relationship. China has become very good at manufacturing things, but is not nearly so good at creating complex and networked effects like missile defense. We are in an era where stopping someone (say, China) from doing something (say, threatening neighbors) we don't want them to do is as important and perhaps much more so, as our own ability to kill people and break their stuff.