In recent years, China tried to setup an international conference in the United Nations to stop space the arms race. The United States rejected the plan that there is no such arms race in space. A common faith in United States is that after the collapse of Soviet Union, there is no other power in the world which could match their capabilities in space. So why listen to others if someone could not pose any threats and apparently that was the basic reason behind the United States’ refusal to accept any ban of space arms race. Instead in August 2006, United States administration issued a new national space policy that ignored calls for a global ban on such tests. The policy said the United States would “deny, if necessary, adversaries the use of space capabilities hostile to U.S. national interests.” and “preserve its rights, capabilities, and freedom of action in space.” According to reports, the United States is conducting a secret search on new technologies for anti-satellite weapons using lasers.

Surely the Chinese did not like the US attitude of ignoring their calls for an arms race ban in space and than the issuance of such an aggressive policy. According to various news reports, on 11th January, 2007 China secretly carried out its first test of an anti-satellite weapon. The test was a success and Chinese military used a ground-based missile to hit and destroy one of its aging satellites orbiting more than 500 miles in space. Until now China declined to deny or confirm the test. The last test of an anti-satellite weapon was conducted by the United States in 1985, and Soviet Union also carried out such kind of tests from 1968 to 1982.

In fact the recent test of anti-satellite weapons was not the first response to the USA. In September 2006, China used a ground-based laser to illuminate one US satellite. It was first sign that China does not like US spy satellites above its territory and developing a system to blind imaging satellites. The current test was the second move by China.

The United States has many Spy and military satellites in space. These satellites orbit closer to the Earth and the Chinese test has shown their capabilities to hit a satellite and pose a serious threat to destroy them. America heavily relies on these satellites for intelligence, military movements, and missile and nuclear tests any where in the world.

Since 1999 China started to modernize its military and space program. In October 2003, china became only the third nation after Russia and the United States to launch its own manned space mission. Intense secrecy is a trademark of Chinese military and space programs. In fact on 11th January, 2007 (the day the Chinese conducted their apparent test) at a public hearing to the congress, the heads of US intelligence agencies presented their annual threats assessments against the United States and did not mention any threats from the Chinese space program. Though now it would be a different story still it shows that the United States intelligence agencies had no clues about China’s ambitions in space.

The United States officially criticized Chinese actions and a spokesman of the National Security Council has said "The U.S. believes China's development and testing of such weapons is inconsistent with the spirit of cooperation that both countries aspire to in the civil space area," Japan, Canada, Australia, United Kingdom and South Korea have also criticized Chinese tests. All are the allies of United States.

But notably the Chinese played the entire episode very intelligently. In their arguments the Chinese could easily say that they initiated moves to ban arms race in space but the United States did not listen, so all the blame could not be put only on them for starting of a new arms race in space.

After conducting this test China also gave a strong signal for a new space order which will certainly lead to the exploration of many new areas, especially now that the United States will try to build a system which could protect its spy and other satellites in space from any anti-satellite weapons. On the other hand, United States will be also thinking to sit at the negotiating table for an arms race ban treaty in space as they have found out a new strong competitor in space and that would be considered as a moral victory in China.