Beijing: Chinese President Xi Jinping has asked their air force to acquire integrated air and space defense capabilities. This would be in response to the increasing use of air and space facilities by the military of United States and other such countries.
It is said that the Chinese space program by their military is for peaceful purposes. Last year a Pentagon report had highlighted China’s increasing space capabilities and a variety of activities in view to prevent the consequences of using space-based assets during a crisis.
China had launched a indigenous weather satellites with a ground-based missile in January 2007 which created fears of a space arms-race with the United States and other powers involved in that field.
Detailed analysis of satellite imagery published in March provided additional evidence that a Chinese rocket launch in May 2013, which categorized as a research mission, was actually a test of a new anti-satellite weapon.
President Xi Jinping was talking to the staff members during his visit to the air-force head quarters who is also the head of the armed forces. He has told the concerned officers to speed up air and space integration and sharpen their offensive and defensive capabilities. The aforesaid information was from Xinhua news agency which had not given any details on how China has proposed to do this.
According to the official China Daily, the country has to pay more attention to its defensive as well as offensive capabilities in space.

Video on Chinese President’s visit to air force head quarters