Finally, the United States and China need to recognize that they must make an effort to manage their emerging competition in military space in a manner that does not undercut their own national security, as well as the security of others. Breaking off nascent discussions about space cooperation in favor of launching a kind of Cold War in space is bound to backfire on both Washington and Beijing in the long run. Instead, a frank and open dialogue about each side's national security concerns in space is called for -- along with serious consideration of how a new code of conduct for behavior in space might be drafted to clearly demark the boundaries of acceptable and unacceptable behavior in space. A code of conduct for space is not a radical, or even new, idea. Indeed, the administration of Ronald Reagan, while pursuing space-based missile defenses and an ASAT program, also was considering the value of pursuing a code of conduct that might include measures such as barring attacks on early warning satellites. Pursuit of a space code more recently has been endorsed by a number of international media outlets, including The Economist, a libertarian-oriented British magazine, and U.S. trade journal Aviation Week & Space Technology. China and the United States should take heed, and seek to shape rules of the road that can help ensure mutual security in space for all. Failure to act to restrain unfettered military competition in space is bound to result in a "Wild West" environment that raises the risks not only to Chinese and U.S. uses of space, but to the peace and prosperity of the entire world.

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Hitchens, Theresa. "U.S.-Sino Relations in Space: From "War of Words" to Cold War in Space." China Security. (Winter 2007): 12-30. [ 6 quotes ] [ page 27 ]