Reuters-Exclusive US exploring potential space force hotline with China US commander says
September 25, 2023 2 min 383 words
这则报道涉及美国太空部队考虑与中国建立太空热线的内部讨论，这一举措旨在防止太空领域的危机发生。美国太空部队的总司令Chance Saltzman在接受路透社采访时表示，与中国太空部队之间的直接沟通渠道将有助于缓解紧张局势，但美国尚未与中国就建立热线展开正式对话。这一举措的实施需要由总统乔·拜登和国务院来主导。 在中国的军事野心引起印太地区邻国的担忧以及乌克兰战争凸显太空在战争中的重要性的背景下，美国太空部队正在考虑在日本设立一个分支机构。日本对台湾问题特别关切，担心中国可能从一年前俄罗斯入侵乌克兰的事件中汲取教训。由于中国将民主治理的台湾视为自己的领土，尚未放弃使用武力将台湾纳入北京控制之下。 Saltzman与日本高级国防官员在东京举行了会谈，他确认太空部队正在探讨在日本设立本地总部的可能性，但没有详细说明其具体位置或用途，但他提到可能类似于去年11月在韩国建立的分支机构。Saltzman还强调，与像日本这样志同道合的国家加强合作对于监测和了解太空领域的活动以遏制中国和打击“灰色地带活动”（如干扰卫星信号）至关重要。他说：“我们必须能够获得这些迹象和警告，了解他们的意图，以免陷入灰色地带活动的陷阱。” 需要指出的是，美国太空部队成立于2019年，与俄罗斯太空部队尚无直接沟通渠道。这一举措显示了在当今太空竞赛中，太空领域的国际合作和信息共享愈发重要，以确保太空安全和稳定。
The United States Space Force has had internal discussions about setting up a hotline with China to prevent crises in space, U.S. commander General Chance Saltzman told Reuters on Monday.
The chief of space operations said a direct line of communication between the Space Force and its Chinese counterpart would be valuable in de-escalating tensions but that the U.S. had not yet engaged with China to establish one.
"What we have talked about on the U.S. side at least is opening up a line of communication to make sure that if there is a crisis, we know who we can contact," Saltzman said, adding that it would be up to President Joe Biden and the State Department to take the lead on such discussions.
The comments come as the U.S. Space Force looks into establishing a branch in Japan, as China's military ambitions in the Indo-Pacific unnverve its neighbours and the war in Ukraine spotlights the importance of space capabilities in warfare.
Japan has been especially concerned about Taiwan and any lessons China may have drawn from Russia's invasion of Ukraine a year ago. China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has not renounced the use of force to bring the island under Beijing's control.
Saltzman, who held talks with top Japanese defence officials in Tokyo on Monday, confirmed that the space force was exploring the potential establishment of a local headquarters in Japan.
He did not elaborate on the location or the purpose it would serve, but did say it could look similar to a branch established in South Korea in November last year.
Saltzman added that deeper cooperation with like-minded countries including Japan would be crucial in being able to monitor and understand activity in the space domain to deter China and counter 'grey zone activities' such as jamming satellite signals.
"We have to be able to have those indications and warnings and see what they're doing and call them on the intent. Just being hypersensitive so we don't fall prey to grey zone activities," Saltzman said.
The U.S. Space Force, founded in 2019, also does not have a direct line of communication with its Russian counterpart.