China has raised its growing concerns at the United Nations regarding the expansion of Starlink , SpaceX's massive satellite constellation. The Beijing government believes that the widespread deployment of these satellites in low Earth orbit has not only technical implications, but also political and military ones, which could affect the entire international community, including Europe.
In an address to the UN Security Council, the Chinese delegation warned that the proliferation of commercial satellites without clear regulation is creating risks of collisions, frequency saturation, and a potential increase in the militarization of space. These warnings come at a time when European actors are watching with concern the increasing density of low Earth orbit, where numerous civilian and defense satellites from the EU and its member states already operate.
China takes its Starlink concerns to the UN Security Council
During an informal session of the Security Council, the representative from Beijing emphasized that the rapid expansion of commercial space activities has led to a scenario in which a single nation, in a direct reference to the United States, controls a very significant portion of the satellites in orbit. Lacking effective oversight mechanisms, China argues, this situation poses "pronounced security and safety challenges" on a global scale.
The Chinese delegation focused on so-called megaconstellations of satellites, such as Starlink, composed of thousands of devices that provide broadband services from space. For Beijing, the lack of stricter international regulations and genuine coordination between countries significantly increases the risk of incidents that could affect both crewed missions and scientific or communications satellites belonging to other powers, including European ones.
China stressed before the UN that private constellations do not operate in a legal vacuum: in its view, it is the States that must assume responsibility for the space activities of their companies, especially when these may interfere with the peaceful use of outer space or endanger third parties.
Potential collisions, saturated orbits, and space debris
One of the points that most worries Beijing is the increased risk of collisions in low Earth orbit . The Chinese representative noted that, according to recent calculations, around 66% of the active satellites in this region already belong to Starlink: some 8.500 out of a total of just under 13.000 operational devices, a number that continues to grow.
Elon Musk himself has argued that the constellation could eventually include more than 42.000 satellites , while SpaceX currently has formal authorization to place approximately 12.000 into orbit. Each satellite is designed with an approximate lifespan of five years, after which it is programmed to re-enter the atmosphere and disintegrate. However, this continuous cycle of launches and re-entries increases traffic and the potential for uncontrolled fragmentation.
China cited, as an example of these dangers, the disintegration of a satellite at the end of the year, which reportedly generated more than a hundred fragments of space debris. These types of events further complicate tracking from the ground and increase the likelihood of collisions with other spacecraft, a concern shared by European space agencies, which have been warning about the problem of orbital debris for years.
Furthermore, Beijing complained that the massive deployment of satellites from the same constellation is saturating frequency and orbital resources , which are limited and shared by all countries. Communication frequencies and certain altitude ranges in low Earth orbit are finite resources; their intensive use by a single operator can hinder new projects, including those of the European Union, such as the secure communications systems planned for the coming years.
Incidents involving the Chinese space station and risks for developing countries
In his statement, the Chinese representative recalled several specific incidents related to maneuvers to avoid potential collisions between Starlink satellites and the Chinese space station, which occurred in 2021. According to his account, these maneuvers forced the crew to take measures to avoid possible collisions, with the consequent risk to the astronauts' safety.
The Chinese diplomat warned that while these situations are already delicate for a major space power, the problem is compounded for developing countries that lack advanced orbital control systems and such precise maneuvering capabilities. For these states, reacting in time to an approaching object or reconfiguring a satellite's trajectory can be far more complex, increasing the potential for damage.
China emphasized that this technological asymmetry could solidify a scenario in which nations with less developed space infrastructure are forced to take greater risks or even abandon certain missions for fear of incidents. In Asia, Africa, and Latin America, where several countries are taking their first steps into low Earth orbit, the issue of space safety is becoming a significant concern.
SpaceX, for its part, did not immediately respond to questions from some international media outlets regarding these accusations, reinforcing the perceived lack of transparency on the part of Beijing ; previous incidents, such as a global Starlink outage , have fueled these criticisms. In Europe, organizations like the ESA have advocated for sharing more orbital tracking data to reduce misunderstandings and improve coordination in these evasive maneuvers.
Military dimension: from satellite internet to the battlefield
Beyond the physical risks, China emphasized the political and security implications, warning that commercial satellites are increasingly being used for military purposes , such as reconnaissance and communications over conflict zones. This duality—civilian and military—complicates international oversight and, according to Beijing, blurs the line between the peaceful use of space and its potential for military purposes.
The Chinese representative stated that the presence of private constellations capable of supporting military operations in real time increases the risk of outer space becoming a new arena for strategic rivalry. In this context, he warned that the integration of commercial satellites into defense networks could fuel an arms race in orbit; furthermore, the reported development of an anti-satellite weapon targeting the Starlink network exemplifies these risks.
For EU capitals, this trend necessitates a reassessment of how they protect their own assets in orbit, such as Earth observation, navigation, and government communications satellites. While Beijing's rhetoric is primarily directed at the United States and its companies , the collateral effects on the stability of the space environment also impact the interests of Europe and other actors committed to strictly peaceful use.
China insisted that this is not merely a technical debate, but a matter of global space governance . If commercial satellites participate in strategic or military tasks without a clear framework, determining responsibility in the event of incidents, cyberattacks, or interference becomes complicated—a scenario that could have direct consequences for critical infrastructure on Earth.
The role of the Outer Space Treaty and the call for stricter regulation
Beijing used its intervention at the United Nations to urge countries with large space industries to strengthen the regulation and oversight of their private companies. Specifically, it called for strict adherence to the obligations set forth in the 1967 Outer Space Treaty, the cornerstone of international space law.
According to China's position, states must assume legal responsibility for the activities of companies under their jurisdiction when these activities compromise the peaceful use of space. This includes both the risks of collision and the generation of space debris, as well as the use of civilian satellites for military purposes—an area only briefly outlined when the treaty was signed more than half a century ago.
Beijing's proposal involves promoting clearer mechanisms for coordination and notification between countries, as well as developing specific regulations on megaconstellations, which were not even considered in the 1960s. This line of work can connect with the ongoing debates in Europe about how to securely manage its own satellite networks, from the Galileo and Copernicus systems to future secure communications projects.
For the European Union, which promotes "sustainable space" initiatives, China's warning could serve to strengthen alliances in favor of stricter regulations that limit both space debris and undeclared military uses. In turn, the EU must balance this stance with its strategic relationship with the United States, the main driver of many of these commercial space constellations.
China is also developing its own megaconstellations
While criticizing Starlink's expansion, China is forging ahead with its own large-scale projects, such as the Qianfan broadband network . This program, backed by Shanghai authorities, plans the mass production and launch of more than 15.000 satellites by 2030 to provide global internet coverage from space.
The launch of Qianfan positions China as a direct competitor to SpaceX and other players developing mega-constellations of communications. At the same time, it highlights the paradox of a scenario in which major powers criticize orbital saturation while simultaneously promoting their own systems to avoid falling behind in the technological and commercial race.
From a European perspective, this scenario paints an increasingly crowded space arena, with American, Chinese, and, to a lesser extent, European projects competing for orbital space, frequencies, and markets . The need for common rules and global coordination mechanisms is therefore becoming more pressing if local incidents are to be prevented from escalating into broader diplomatic tensions.
China's warnings about Starlink and megaconstellations highlight a challenge that transcends great power rivalries: how to ensure that space remains a safe, sustainable environment geared towards peaceful uses , at a time when the number of satellites is skyrocketing and the boundary between civilian and military is becoming increasingly blurred.