Satellite Surprise Highlights U.S.-China Gap: Official

From Reuters:

China’s test of an anti-satellite weapon last month underscores U.S. frustration in efforts to forge reliable communications with the secretive Chinese military, a senior Pentagon official said on Thursday.

Richard Lawless, deputy assistant secretary of defense for Asian and Pacific security affairs, said the missile launch that destroyed an aging Chinese weather satellite was a “quite unpleasant development” after years of U.S. efforts to boost dialogue with China’s military leaders…

On January 11, China used a ground-based ballistic missile to knock out the satellite about 537 miles above Earth, scattering dangerous debris that could damage other satellites for years. [Full text]

(Photo of U.S. negotiator Christopher Hill (L) shakes hands with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei)