Research On Outer Space Security Mechanism

Outer space is another highland after land,sea and sky.The extension of state power in outer space makes outer space security and safety an important part of national security.According to different attributes,outer space security and safety can be divided into two types: military security and natural safety.Outer space security and safety regimes are a collection of principles,norms,rules,and specific procedures formed by the convergence of outer space actors on the issue of outer space security and safety;it can be divided into outer space security regimes and outer space safety regimes.The theory of complex international regimes can be applied to the study of outer space security and safety regimes.The theory contains two theoretical logics: the international regimes are determined by the power,the distribution of benefits,and the cognition of actors.The establishment of outer space security and safety regimes will have feedback on power,benefits,and perceptions;the international regimes lag behind the characteristics of power changes,which make it an independent variable outside power,interest,and cognition in international politics.The United States and the Soviet Union “bipolar structure” of power and military security threats of are prominently the main background of outer space security and safety regimes during the Cold War period,which determines that the core objective of outer space security and safety regimes during the Cold War period is to maintain the strategic balance between the United States and the Soviet Union.Outer Space Treaty has established the basic principles for the conduct of outer space activities.However,under the new outer space power structure and the new safety situation in outer space,some provisions of Outer Space Treaty cannot effectively resolve new security and safety issues.After the end of the Cold War,outer space order entered a new era.Its main features are the “only super power and multi-great power” power structure and the grim outer space security and safety situation.The United States has become a superpower of outer space.The level of science and technology in China's outer space has improved significantly.The strength of Russia's outer space is gradually recovering,and the power of outer space in Europe is dispersed and the institutions are divided.The U.S.policy on unilateralism in outer space has made the threat of military security in outer space still serious in the new era;the increase of outer space actors and outer space activities has made outer space safety issues more serious in the new era,such as outer space debris and the shortage of outer space resources,while there is a lack of corresponding governance mechanisms;international cooperation in outer space is diversified,but asymmetrical,selective,and cooperation with economic benefits as the forerunner hinders the process of outer space security and safety governance.Under such a background,the construction of outer space security and safety regimes in the new era is imperative.Transparency and Confidence-Building Measures(TCBM)in Outer Space,Treaty on the Prevention of the Placement of Weapons in Outer Space,the Threat or Use of Force against Outer Space Objects(PPWT),International Code of Conduct for Outer Space Activities(ICOC),and Guidelines for Long-term Sustainability of Outer Space Activities are the new proposals of outer space security and safety regimes.TCBM in outer space originate from traditional disarmament measures,which aims to enhance bilateral and multilateral strategic mutual trust and transparency of behavior of outer space actors.However,due to the lack of legal binding and difficult to transform to a universally applicable international legal text,the best role of TCBM in outer space is to complement the military security regimes in outer space.Compared with TCBM in outer space,the PPWT draft is a “preventive security” regime as a more substantive proposal for military security mechanisms in outer space.The PPWT shows China's and Russia's determination to maintain the peace and stability of outer space.However,due to the opposition of the United States and other countries,the PPWT has not entered the stage of substantive consultation and conclusion.In the future,the PPWT should be applied to land-based anti-satellite weapons,clearly explain "self-defense rights" in outer space.The ICOC draft promoted by the European Union focuses on regulating the conduct of outer space actors and adopts a model of stakeholder consultation,which reflects the EU's “collective identity” and the emphasis on the safety of outer space.Out of the UN platform has made ICOC difficult to obtain widespread recognition from the international community.The ICOC need to be returned to the UN platform in the future,clearly positioned as a safety regime for outer space,and be more inclusive,giving more consideration to the interests of the developing country of outer space.The “Guidelines for the long-term sustainability of outer space activities” is the most substantial achievement in the construction of outer space safety regime based on the United Nations platform in the new era,and reflects the expectation of the vast majority of outer space actors on the issue of outer space safety.It provides useful guidance and is historic,systematic,and forward-looking.In the future the Guidelines can be further improved in the promotion of outer space science and technology and benefit sharing,and strengthening the supervision of non-state actors in outer space activities.These proposals of outer space security and safety regimes reflect the proponents' cognition of outer space and the expectation of benefits,and also reflect the disagreements.The three main characteristics of the construction of outer space security and safety regimes in the new era are the construction subject diversification,the fragmentation of mechanism components,and the softening of regime's effectiveness.The diversification of the construction subject leads to the fragmentation of outer space security and safety regimes,which leads the “soft law” tends.In the new era,the construction of outer space security and safety regimes is facing power game,divergent interests,cognitive differences,technology lag contradiction.There is a destabilizing factor in the “only super power and multi-great power” power structure,manifested in the military “hard power” competition in the outer space between the United States and China-Russia,the “soft power” competition between the EU and China-Russia in the construction of outer space security regimes.The distribution of interests between the major powers of outer space and the developing space countries is uneven.The developing space countries place their development interests above the common interests of human beings in outer space,resulting in the failure of collective action and the lack of individual responsibility in the governance of outer space public domain.There is an inherent contradiction between outer space technology and security and safety in outer space.The different cognition of the security and safety of outer space lead to the international consensus that the governance of outer space security and safety cannot be widely converged,and the construction process of outer space security regimes face deadlock.A stable structure of outer space power makes safe and security become the target of outer space actors.The distribution of reasonable interests in outer space ensures that humans share the benefits of the development of the outer space public domain and the equal use of outer space between generations.These two laid the objective conditions for the construction of the regimes;common safety and security cognition provides a subjective motivation for the building of regimes.The distribution of power and interests is objective.Under the premise of being unable to change the power structure and distribution of interests,shaping the common safety and security cognition of actors is the core way to promote the construction of outer space safety and security regimes.Building consensus on the goal of collective security awareness and establishing a community of shared future of outer space is the key to building an outer space security and safety regimes.Based on the collective security awareness of the outer space,with the “preventive security regimes” as the core,and the “preemptive security regimes” as a supplement,the establishment of an international organization dedicated to security affairs in outer space is a paradigm for the construction of outer space security regimes;Based on the concept of a community of shared future of outer space and the "soft law" approach,the three principles of “coexistence of rights and responsibilities,” “common but differentiated responsibilities,” and “danger prevention” should be clarified,promote civil cooperation in outer space and improve the sharing of science and technology in outer space,and strengthen the construction of outer space situational awareness information sharing is a paradigm for the construction of outer space safety regimes.China's role in outer space security and safety regime should be the defender of outer space security and safety,the builder of outer space order,and the leader of outer space security and safety regime.In the process of enhancing the three roles,China needs to maintain positive interaction with outer space major powers such as the United States,Russia,and the European Union,actively support the developing space countries' capabilities in outer space;build a collective cognition of outer space security on the issue of security and a community of shared future of outer space among the actors on the issue of outer space safety,promote international consensus gathering and strengthen the theoretical research and personnel training of the outer space security and safety regimes,and contribute China's wisdom and program for the government of outer space security and safety.