Nation opposes weapons race in outer space

China is firmly against the militarization of outer space, and will never engage in a space arms race, a senior official said yesterday.

"The ongoing lunar exploration program has no military purposes," Chen Qiufa, vice-minister of the Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, said on an online chat.

"China will adhere to the principle of peaceful use of space," he said, responding to a question if China will join the global space powers to pursue space military technology.