Such a nuclear anti-satellite weapon would allow the PLA to cripple or destroy Starlink satellites in low-Earth orbit (LEO), which has long been a problem for Chinese military planners.
In May, the official newspaper of the Chinese armed forces expressed concern about the risks associated with the Starlink satellite Internet system and suggested that the U.S. military could use it to dominate space.
"SpaceX has decided to increase the number of Starlink satellites from 12,000 to 42,000 - the uncontrolled expansion of the program and the company's ambitions to use it for military purposes should put the international community on high alert," said the article on China Military Online, the official news website of the Central Military Commission (CMC), China's top national defense organization headed by President Xi Jinping.
The article also referenced SpaceX Starlink's role during the war between Russia and Ukraine, where Elon Musk provided Starlink terminals to restore communications in parts of the country where Internet or phone service was interrupted after Russian troops shelled the area