China issues grave warning over Donald Trump's 'war zone' outer space missile system

China has accused President Donald Trump of "militarizing space" with the development of the United States's new Golden Dome for America missile defense program. The ambitious new ballistic missile protection screen, similar to Israel's Iron Dome system, is designed to shield the entire continental United States.

Speaking from the Oval Office on Tuesday, President Trump - who gave European leaders a chilling Vladimir Putin update this week - stated that he anticipates the system will be "fully operational before the end of my term," which concludes in 2029 and will have the ability to intercept missiles "even if they are launched from space."

However, Beijing, whose new mothership drone has been hailed as a "game changer," has fired back, stating that Washington's plans will "heighten the risk of transforming outer space into a battlefield."

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Fox News reports that Chinese Foreign Minister Mao Ning said the Golden Dome has a "strong offensive nature and violates the principle of peaceful use in the Outer Space Treaty."

The irate official added: "The project will increase the risk of militarizing space and sparking a space arms race, and destabilize the international security and arms control system, we urge the US to abandon developing and deploying global anti-missile system.

"China is deeply concerned about this. We urge the US to stop developing and deploying the global anti-missile system as soon as possible and take concrete actions to enhance strategic mutual trust between major countries and maintain global strategic stability.", reports the Express.

The United States, China, and Russia have been engaged in a high-stakes competition for dominance in Earth's orbit. In a notable move, Russia deployed a suspected 'satellite killer' device just before its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

This month, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the space-based components of the Golden Dome initiative could cost up to £400 billion over the next two decades. President Trump has requested an initial £18 billion for the program as part of his proposed tax break bill, currently making its way through Congress.

For years, the Pentagon has cautioned that the latest missiles developed by China and Russia are so sophisticated that upgraded countermeasures are essential. The additional satellites and interceptors that makeup the bulk of Golden Dome's cost would focus on intercepting these advanced missiles early on or mid-flight.

According to General Chance Saltzman, head of the US Space Force, the space-based weapons envisioned for Golden Dome "represent new and emerging requirements for missions that have never before been accomplished by military space organizations," as stated during a hearing on Tuesday.

In 2022, the US revealed that Russia was working on a space-based nuclear weapon capable of lingering in space for extended periods before releasing a burst that would destroy nearby satellites.