On May 20, 2025, the United States announced the finalized architecture of its "Golden Dome" system-expanding missile defense targets from so-called "rogue states" to peer and near-peer adversaries planning to deploy offensive weapons in outer space. This move will severely undermine global strategic stability, trample on the principle of peaceful use of outer space, and further destabilize an already turbulent world.
The U.S. seeks to develop an unconstrained, global, multi-layer and multi-domain air and missile defense system. Driven by "America First" and the blind pursuit of absolute security, it aims to intercept hypersonic missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and even drones launched from anywhere on earth--or from space. The system integrates existing midcourse and terminal-phase missile defenses while adding new boost-phase interception capabilities. Beyond strengthening land-based and sea-based defenses, it will also deploy space-based weapons, especially space sensors to track hypersonic/ballistic missiles, space-based interceptors for boost-phase strikes, and Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite networks for global battlefield surveillance and target identification.
Strategic defense is never purely an issue of defense. It directly impacts the balance of global strategic power and global peace and security at large. The lessons learned from the arms race during Cold War is that pursuing absolute security through missile defense provokes endless upgrades in offensive weapons. This led to the U.S.-Soviet Anti-Ballistic Missile (ABM) Treaty, which capped the development of such systems. In post-Cold War era, though the U.S. withdrew from the ABM Treaty and deployed missile defenses, it claimed these were not aimed at negating Russian or Chinese nuclear deterrence. However, "Golden Dome" shatters this pretense, openly targeting "peer or near-peer" states. This will destabilize major-power strategic balances and deteriorate the international security dilemma.
By openly developing space-based offensive weapons under the framework "Golden Dome", the U.S. violates the principle of peaceful use of outer space. The Outer Space Treaty establishes that the exploration and use of outer space shall be carried out for the benefit and in the interest of all countries and all mankind, and in accordance with international law including the Charter of the United Nations. While the Treaty bans only WMDs in space--not conventional weapons--the international community has long exercised restraint, with no single nation has ever openly declared to deploy kinetic/non-kinetic offensive weapons in orbit. "Golden Dome" will deploy large-scale space-based surveillance, tracking systems and interceptors, escalating the risks of conflicts in outer space and jeopardizing humanity’s sustainable exploration and use of outer space.
Moreover, the "Golden Dome" system plans to conduct left-of-launch strikes and boost-phase interceptions which carries high escalation risks. The U.S. intends to neutralize adversaries’ missiles before launch--so called "left-of-launch" or "pre-launch suppression" measures. These inherently preemptive strikes could dangerously heighten tensions and provoke large-scale retaliation. Meanwhile, boost-phase interception - targeting missiles immediately after launch - exploits the period when missiles fly slowest and are most vulnerable. However, since such strikes typically occur over an adversary’s sovereign territory, which will very likely lead to escalation of conflicts.
Maintaining global strategic stability and the peaceful use of outer space serves the fundamental and common interests of the international community - and indeed America’s own long-term interests. The U.S. government must abandon this misguided pursuit. True strategic defense lies not in technological dominance, but in political wisdom: making it a golden rule to respect for all nations’ core interests and non-interference in others’ internal affairs as the dome of the architecture of international relations. Only in this way can genuine security and strategic defense be achieved.
(The author is Director of Center of Arms Control Studies, China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations)
原文地址：http://en.people.cn/n3/2025/0610/c98649-20325832.html