China Accuses Japan of Starting Space Arms Race

China's military has accused Japan of provoking a dangerous space arms race. The criticism targets Japan's growing space program and a new intelligence agency. The accusations were published on Thursday in two articles in the *PLA Daily*, the official newspaper of China's military. Researchers from the People's Liberation Army's Space Engineering University authored one piece. They claim Japan's actions threaten regional security. This marks the latest in a series of daily diplomatic criticisms from Beijing toward Tokyo over the past month. The articles specifically condemn Japan's space ambitions and its new intelligence unit dedicated to space. A space arms race refers to nations developing weapons designed for use in or from space.