The Golden Dome missile defense system proposed by the United States heightens the risk of turning space into a war zone and triggering a space arms race, a spokesperson from the Chinese Ministry of National Defense warned on Thursday.

Speaking at a regular news conference, Zhang Xiaogang, the ministry's spokesman, criticized the US' ambitions to deploy space-based weapons and expand its military presence.

He said such moves violate key principles of the Outer Space Treaty, undermine global arms control efforts, and increase the risk of transforming space into a theater of war.

"This will once again open Pandora's box," Zhang said. "No country has done more than the US to militarize space and push it toward becoming a battlefield."

China urged the US to halt its military expansion in space and take concrete steps to safeguard global strategic stability, Zhang said.

US President Donald Trump announced a plan to build the Golden Dome missile defense system on May 20, aiming to protect the United States from ballistic, cruise and hypersonic missiles and missiles launched from space.