China has raised concerns over the United States’ new missile defense program, the Golden Dome, urging Washington to halt its development. According to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the initiative threatens global security and risks accelerating the militarization of space.
The Golden Dome, a US$175 billion project recently announced by President Trump, is intended to use advanced technologies across land, sea, and space to detect and intercept missile threats at all stages of flight. Modeled after Israel’s Iron Dome system, it represents the first U.S. defense system to include space-based interceptors capable of global coverage.
General Michael Guetlein has been appointed to lead the program, which is expected to become operational by the end of Trump’s second term. The administration emphasizes the system’s role in protecting national infrastructure and maintaining U.S. security in an increasingly volatile global environment.
However, China contends that the Golden Dome is an offensive project that undermines international agreements aimed at preventing the weaponization of outer space. Chinese officials argue that by striving for absolute security, the U.S. is destabilizing the strategic balance and creating new risks for conflict beyond Earth’s atmosphere.
Although the Pentagon asserts that the system is designed to defend against cruise missiles, hypersonic weapons, drones, and nuclear-capable missiles, the scale and ambition of the program have raised concerns internationally. Critics see the Golden Dome as a step toward further space militarization amid deepening rivalries among major powers.China has called for calm and renewed diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions and promote dialogue on space governance and strategic stability.
