On July 4, 2018, International Workshop on PAROS (Prevention of an Arms Race in Outer Space) co-hosted by China, Russia and the United Nations (UN) kicked off in Beijing. More than 60 representatives from over 20 countries including Brazil, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Germany, France, Italy, the Republic of Korea and Japan as well as from the UN agencies and domestic and overseas think tanks attended the workshop. Assistant Foreign Minister Zhang Hanhui attended and addressed the opening ceremony, expounding China's stance and proposal on outer space security.

Zhang Hanhui pointed out in his speech that the flourishing development of outer space technology and space application significantly boosted scientific and technological innovation, economic prosperity, social development and improvement of people's livelihood in various countries. The issue of outer space security is related to the development and security interests of various countries. Facing the current outer space security challenges and threats of weaponization, the international community should work together to explore effective measures to prevent an arms race in outer space, so as to ensure the lasting peace and stability in outer space.

Zhang Hanhui put forward four important proposals on outer space security. First, the construction of legal system of outer space should be enhanced on the basis of international rules so that the risk caused by weaponization and arms race can be prevented fundamentally to achieve enduring peace in outer space. Second, on the premise of mutual respect, the vision for common, comprehensive, cooperative and sustainable security should be upheld to establish a new type of international relations featuring mutual respect, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation so as to achieve universal security in outer space. Third, with mutual benefit and win-win results as the goal, the principle of extensive consultation, joint contribution and shared benefits should be adhered to while deepening the peaceful utilization of international cooperation, so as to achieve common prosperity in outer space. Fourth, under the guidance of long-term interests, the governance system of outer space should be improved continuously while efforts are made to tackle the challenges posed by space environmental deterioration so as to achieve the sustainable development of outer space.

Zhang Hanhui emphasized in the end that President Xi Jinping proposed to build a community with a shared future for mankind, contributing China's solution to coping with global challenges and answering the key question of where mankind should go. China consistently pursues peaceful utilization of outer space, actively carries out international cooperation, and promotes the negotiation of the international community on a treaty that aims for the prevention of weaponization of outer space, making unremitting endeavour for the peace of outer space shared by all countries. In the future, China is willing to join hands with the rest of the world to strengthen international governance of outer space security and advance cooperation in peaceful utilization of outer space, so as to make greater contributions to the building of a community with a shared future for mankind in outer space.

In the following two days, representatives attending the workshop would mainly discuss issues including current situation of outer space security, weaponization and arms race threats, and the formulation of new international law documents, making preparations for the work of a group of governmental experts on PAROS established by the UN this year.