China Starlink Security Risk: Beijing Issues Warning to UN Security Council

The final frontier's getting crowded—and dangerous. China has warned that the rapid expansion of SpaceX's Starlink constellation presents "pronounced safety and security challenges."

Addressing a United Nations Security Council event on Monday, January 1, 2026, Beijing's representative cited several incidents, including near collisions with the Chinese space station in 2021. The diplomat criticized the "unchecked proliferation" of commercial satellites by a certain country, hinting at the United States, in the absence of effective global regulation.

China Starlink Security Risk: Military and Terrorist Concerns

The concern goes beyond physical collisions. Beijing pointed out that these low Earth orbit constellations are being used for military reconnaissance. Even more alarming, they claimed that terrorist and separatist groups are exploiting this technology to bypass national laws and airspace sovereignty.

This formal protest at the UN follows a recent satellite disintegration in December, which has added fuel to the debate over space debris and orbital safety management.

The Blame Game in Low Earth Orbit

However, Starlink isn't staying silent. A senior executive from the firm recently accused China of failing to coordinate with other operators after a near miss between a Starlink unit and a newly launched Chinese satellite. This blame game underscores the lack of a universal traffic control system in the increasingly busy space above our heads.