Kathrine Frich
China has issued a “serious concern” over the announcement.
China has issued a “serious concern” over the announcement.
A new dome, a new controversy
President Donald Trump has unveiled plans for the Golden Dome, a sprawling $175 billion missile defense system designed to shield the US from virtually every kind of airborne threat.
But the announcement has already rattled nerves in Beijing.
“The best system ever built,” says Trump
Trump pitched the Golden Dome as a next-gen shield that could block everything from hypersonic missiles to space-based attacks.
With layered defense tech on land and in orbit, he promised it would be “fully operational” before the end of his second term in 2029.
But China isn’t impressed they’re furious
China has issued a “serious concern” over the announcement.
At a press conference, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning warned the plan had “strong offensive implications” and risks pushing global military competition into space.
Beijing: “This undermines global stability”
Ning blasted the US for prioritizing “absolute security” over strategic balance.
“This violates the principle that the security of all countries should not be compromised,” she said. China urged Washington to drop the plan altogether.
A threat to peace or a shield for safety?
While Trump praised the dome as a defensive necessity, critics argue it could destabilize space diplomacy and provoke an arms race with China and Russia, both of whom already have space-based military capabilities.
What makes the Golden Dome different?
The system is designed to stop missiles at every stage of flight, from launch detection to midcourse interception and terminal phase defense.
Trump claims it’s a dramatic leap beyond Israel’s Iron Dome, with new satellite interceptors forming its core.
A risky move with high-tech stakes
The Pentagon has long warned that America’s aging missile defenses are no match for newer threats from China and Russia.
Trump’s solution is bold, but Beijing sees it as a dangerous escalation that could weaponize orbit.
Trump’s “Reagan moment” or space warfare trigger?
The president likened the Golden Dome to finishing Ronald Reagan’s vision of Star Wars-era missile defense.
“We’ll end the missile threat forever,” Trump said. But to China, this may be a step closer to making space a battlefield.