Chang'e-5 lunar samples. (PHOTO: VCG)

By GONG Qian

U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns recently said that he does not believe that China has shown much interest in working with the U.S. regarding space collaboration. However, the fact is that the U.S. has been impeding cooperation between the two countries.

There is an apparent contradiction that some U.S. politicians emphasize cooperation, while others praise the Wolf Amendment that restricts space cooperation with China and advocate restricting cooperation permanently, said Xu Hongliang, a spokesperson for the China National Space Administration (CNSA), in response to such irresponsible remarks.

"I don't understand whether the U.S. is playing with words or passing the buck," said Xu.

While China and the U.S. established mechanisms such as the working group on Earth science and space science cooperation and the China-U.S. Civil Space Dialogue, it was hindered after the Wolf Amendment passed by the U.S. congress in 2011. It forbids NASA-funded projects with China — unless there is a approval from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Congress.

The long-standing U.S. law leads to "the absence of any meaningful bilateral and multilateral cooperation between the U.S. and China in space," according to Harvard International Review. Furthermore, other legislations such as the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act of 2021 and the America COMPETES Act of 2022 were adopted to limit and thwart space exchanges and cooperation with China.

Upholding the Cold War mindset, the U.S. is provoking a space race. On the contrary, China has always been open to having space exchanges and cooperation with the world. Recently, China issued the announcement of International Cooperation Opportunities for the Chang'e-8 Mission and orchestrated the seventh round of applications for access to Chang'e-5 lunar samples.

According to Xu, China has signed more than 170 cooperation agreements or memorandums of understanding with more than 50 countries, space agencies and international organizations.

China hasn't issued any document, regulation or law to restrict its cooperation with the U.S. If the U.S. truly wanted to advance space exchanges and cooperation with China, it should revoke and abolish relevant legislation, stop irresponsible comments and take practical steps to remove the stumbling blocks on the path towards cooperation, said Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Wang Wenbin.

"Orbit isn’t a high-ground that one can seize. Instead, space works like a commons, where for any one state or company to be able to operate safely, all have to act responsibly. We need peaceful cooperation to enjoy its benefits," said Time magazine.