“星链”项目在武装冲突中的应用之法律思考

Legal considerations on the application of the“Starlink”project in armed conflict

“星链”项目参与他国冲突,使得原本是商业公司的民用项目增添了军事性,并且具有作为武器进行攻击的可能。“星链”项目的军事化和武器化对当前外层空间国际规则体系构成了严峻挑战,直接违反联合国大会维护世界和平的决议、《外空条约》和《外空物体所造成损害的国际责任公约》等的精神、原则和具体规定。同时,由于该项目一旦确定为军事目标,也存在着被攻击的风险。鉴于“星链”项目的近期情况,我国应未雨绸缪,可采取创设新法则推动国际立法、完善现有法适应空天科技新发展、依据现行法及时主张权利、联手他国形成反制合力等一系列法律手段加以应对。

The recent application of the“Starlink”project has lent a military dimension to the originally civilian project of a commercial company and increased its likelihood to be used as a weapon in attacks.The militarization and weaponization of the“Starlink”project poses a severe challenge to the current system of international rules governing outer space,and is in direct violation of the spirit,principles,and specific provisions of the General Assembly resolutions on the maintenance of world peace,the Outer Space Treaty,and the Convention on International Liability for Damage Caused by Space Objects.Moreover,once identified as a military target,the project is also at risk of being attacked.Considering the develepment of the“Starlink”project,China should be proactive and take a series of legal measures,including promoting international legislation,improving existing laws to adapt to new developments in aerospace science and technology,claiming rights in a timely fashion according to existing laws,and forming countermeasures together with other countries.