China's antisatellite-missle test (#313, Topic F)

On Jan 11, China destroyed an aging weather satellite in orbit. A week later, this successful testing of an antisatellite missile was officially acknowledged. This week-long silence apparently irked the so-called "international community." Exactly why this is so completely escapes me. The test, apparently, was conducted over China's airspace; thus, unless there are specific international regulations covering same, it is none of other countries' business. Further, since, by definition, an antisatellite missile is a defensive device, a country testing a defensive device is -- or, at least, should be -- of no concern to other countries. Indeed, if my memory serves me, USA conducted two such tests last year: one over Alaska and the other somewhere over USA's west. I did not recall reading about other countries being irked. If anything, it was the US's Department of Defense that was irked -- the first test (again, assuming my memory serves me) was not a success; the second test was a success, partly because the satellite that was shot down emitted a signal, allowing the antisatellite missile to follow the signal and destroy it. According to today's Wall Street Journal, China briefed USA's Assistant Secretary of State, Christopher Hill, during his visit to Beijing last week, though "U.S. is hoping for more information about the test." It would be interesting to know if the weather satellite used in the Chinese test also emitted a signal. According to WSJ, "analysts outside China have speculated that the test was intended to ... put U.S. on notice that it no longer enjoys unchallenged military domination of space." WSJ continued by saying that "the U.S. military relies heavily on satellites for surveillance, communication and weapons-guidance systems;" one probaly could infer that, in such uses, other countries' airspace has been violated. When the Chinese foreign-ministry's spokesman was asked about "concerns that debris from the destryed satellite could damage other countries' satellites, he said that the issue was too technical for him to address." Perhaps he was too polite. Before answering that question, one must first establish, what right, if any, that other countries' satellites were travelling over China's airspace. The same would hold true, without asking, when other countries' satellites were travelling ove USA's airspace.