BEIJING, February 29. /TASS/. The United States is actively deploying offensive weapons in space and conducting military exercises, which makes it the biggest threat to space security, Chinese Defense Ministry Spokesman Zhang Xiaogang said at a briefing.

"The US has already become the biggest driving force in militarizing space and turning it into a battlefield; it has become the biggest threat to space security," the spokesman said.

He pointed to the fact that the US defines space as a "battlefield." According to Zhang, the US has been developing and deploying offensive space weapons, organizing military space exercises and conducting technical experiments. "The US is maliciously tracking other countries' spacecraft and comes dangerously close to them, creating a risk of collision," the spokesman said.

According to the defense official, China has always adhered to the peaceful use of space and opposed the space arms race.

Earlier, US Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall said that the US Air Force (USAF) will conduct a large-scale reorganization amid the growing threat of armed confrontation with China. He said that the reorganization was necessary to address existing problems and "maintain the competitiveness" of the US armed forces. The reorganization plan calls for the consolidation of some USAF commands, the integration of fighter and bomber aviation formations into single units, the strengthening of structures responsible for planning and budgetary processes, and other changes.