US move will trigger an arms race in space

Editor's note: The United States set up a new Space Command on Thursday, taking a key step toward establishing a Space Force, which President Donald Trump has been touting for more than a year. Will the US' move trigger an arms race in space? Two experts share their views on the issue with China Daily's Pan Yixuan. Excerpts follow:

US militarizing outer space

The US has been preparing to militarize outer space ever since the 1980s when it established the Air Force Space Command, which is a component command subordinate to the US Strategic Command.