China on alert for harmful effects from US shootdown of spy satellite

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
China said Thursday it was on the alert for possible harmful fallout from the US shootdown of an ailing spy satellite and urged Washington to promptly release data about the action. The comment from the Chinese Foreign Ministry came several hours after the Pentagon said a missile launched from a Navy cruiser had soared above the Pacific Ocean and smashed a dying and potentially dangerous US spy satellite. "China is continuously following closely the possible harm caused by the US action to outer space security and relevant countries," ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a regular news conference.