Mr. Chair,

China wishes to thank the Russian Federation for initiating today's Arria-formula meeting.

In recent years, humanity has made new progress in the exploration and use of outer space. Large low-Earth-orbit satellite constellations have witnessed rapid growth and demonstrate the potential to play a positive role in improving global network connectivity, bridging the digital divide, and enhancing people's well-being. At the same time, it must also be noted that, with the rapid expansion of commercial space activities, the unchecked proliferation of commercial satellite constellations by a certain country, in the absence of effective regulation, has given rise to pronounced safety and security challenges.

First, such constellations crowd frequency-orbit resources and significantly increase the risk of collisions.

Starlink, for example, now has more than 10,000 satellites in orbit, seriously occupying frequency-orbit resources and heightening the risks of spacecraft collisions and the creation of space debris. Starlink satellites have on two occasions conducted dangerous close approaches to China's Space Station, forcing emergency collision-avoidance maneuvers and posing grave threats to the safety of Chinese astronauts. Recently, one Starlink satellite disintegrated in orbit, generating more than one hundred debris fragments. For spacecraft operated by developing countries that lack orbit-control capability, space situational awareness, or sufficient reaction time, this undoubtedly constitutes a major risk.

Second, the expanding military applications of such systems aggravate the risk of an arms race in outer space.

A certain country has made extensive use of commercial space entities to provide military reconnaissance, battlefield communications and other services, and has even directly intervened in armed conflicts in other countries. This has blurred the boundary between military and civilian activities in outer space, created accountability dilemmas, and posed challenges to the Outer Space Treaty and the law of State responsibility.

Third, such constellations infringe upon the sovereignty of other States and undermine regional peace and stability.

Disregarding the domestic laws and regulations of States concerned, certain low-Earth-orbit constellations operated by that country have provided signal services without authorization over and across foreign territories and borders, thereby becoming tools for interference in other countries' internal affairs. In regions such as the Sahel in Africa, South Asia and Southeast Asia, Starlink has been widely used by violent and terrorist elements, separatist forces, and transnational telecommunications fraud networks, creating serious challenges for regulation and law enforcement.

Mr. Chair,

The launch and deployment of large satellite constellations constitute outer space activities and should be governed by international space law, including the Outer Space Treaty, the Registration Convention and the Liability Convention. Such activities must comply with the relevant international legal rules and principles concerning the peaceful uses of outer space, the registration of space objects, State responsibility, and equitable access to outer space.

The Outer Space Treaty provides that States bear international responsibility for national activities in outer space, including those carried out by non-governmental entities, and shall ensure that such activities are conducted in conformity with the Treaty. This means that, where commercial space activities impede the peaceful use of outer space by other States or fuel an arms race in outer space, the country concerned bears jurisdictional responsibility. If a country fails to exercise effective regulation and supervision over its commercial space enterprises, or even directs and manipulates them to use satellite internet services to intervene in armed conflicts or interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, that country must — and should — bear responsibility.

China calls on the country concerned to earnestly fulfill its obligations under the Outer Space Treaty, strengthen regulation and oversight of its commercial space activities, and respond to the concerns of the international community. China supports the United Nations in playing its role as the main channel, including actively considering clarification of existing legal provisions and the development of relevant norms of conduct, so as to effectively address the abuses arising from large low-Earth-orbit constellations and safeguard the equal right of all countries to use and explore outer space.

Mr. Chair,

Outer space is the common domain of humankind. It is the shared responsibility of all States to ensure that the development of space science and technology truly serves the well-being of humanity. As a responsible major country, China has consistently upheld the peaceful uses of outer space and the maintenance of outer space security, upheld the international order in outer space based on international space law, faithfully fulfilled its obligations under relevant treaties, and actively promoted the development of the rule of law in outer space.

Going forward, China stands ready to work with all countries to advance international cooperation on the peaceful uses of outer space, promote the improvement of global governance of outer space, jointly safeguard lasting peace and security in outer space, and build a community with a shared future for humankind in outer space.

Thank you, Mr. Chair.