China warns of space war as Trump unveils 'Golden Dome' system

US President Donald Trump has unveiled new details on his plan for a missile defense system known as "Golden Dome" which he claimed is even capable of intercepting missiles launched from the other side of the world, or launched from space.

Just days after returning to the White House in January, Trump unveiled his intentions for the system, aimed at countering "next-generation" aerial threats to the US, including ballistic and cruise missiles.

One week after beginning his second term, Trump directed the Pentagon to develop plans for an aerial defense system, citing what the White House called “the most catastrophic threat” to national security.

Speaking in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump stated "All of them will be knocked out of the air," and added "The success rate is very close to 100%."

He also said that it should be operational in about three years, by the end of his time in office.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth, speaking alongside Trump, stated the Golden Dome would complement current ground defenses to shield the US against all missile threats - cruise, ballistic, hypersonic, and drone attacks, whether armed with conventional or nuclear payloads.

Inspired by Israeli regime’s Iron Dome, the Golden Dome would be allegedly far more expansive, targeting advanced threats like hypersonic missiles and orbital strikes.

Officials noted the Dome would intercept missiles at multiple phases: pre-launch, mid-flight, and re-entry.

Trump named Space Force General Michael Guetlein, currently the vice chief of space operations at Space Force, to lead the Golden Dome project.

He also announced the program needs $25 billion, with a total cost of $175 billion over time. 

However, the Congressional Budget Office projects costs for just the space components could reach $542 billion over two decades.

Military leaders have consistently cautioned that US defenses lag behind advanced missile tech from Russia and China.

"There really is no current system," Trump admitted in the Oval Office, adding "We have certain areas of missiles and certain missile defense, but there is no system... there has never been anything like this.”

He added that Canada had asked to be a part of the system.

China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning on Wednesday expressed "serious concern" over the plan, saying it undercuts "global strategic balance and stability."

"The United States puts its own interests first and is obsessed with seeking its own absolute security, which violates the principle that no country's security should come at the expense of others," he said.

"(The plan) heightens the risk of space becoming a battlefield, fuels an arms race, and undermines international security," Mao added. 

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Earlier this month, Russia and China condemned the Golden Dome proposal as "deeply destabilizing," warning it could transform space into a "battlefield."

A Kremlin-released statement following bilateral talks asserted the plan "explicitly provides for a significant strengthening of the arsenal for conducting combat operations in space."

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