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China’s air force chief has called military competition in space “inevitable”, a departure from Beijing’s past insistence that it is not pursuing space programmes for military purposes.

The remarks by General Xu Qiliang, head of the People’s Liberation Army air force, published in several state media, are a reminder of another area of potential future rivalry between the US and China. In addition, they indicate increased competition within China’s military.

“Competition between military forces is developing towards the sky and space, it is extending beyond the atmosphere and even into outer space. This development is a historical inevitability and cannot be undone,” said Gen Xu according to Xinhua, the official news agency.

“The militarisation of the sky and space is a challenge to the peace of mankind. In the face of this challenge, you don’t have a voice unless you have power. Only if you have strong power can you protect and safeguard peace,” Gen Xu was quoted as saying.

“As the air force of a peace-loving country, [we] must forge a sword and a shield capable of winning peace.”

Gen Xu also said the PLA air force would refocus from defence of national territory to a partly offensive stance, a phrase first heard from China’s defence minister in August.

As US military experts have long warned of China’s growing military capabilities, the remarks are certain to be read in Washington as a clear expression of Beijing’s ambitions to counter US power in space.

In the past, China has demanded an international ban on the use of space for military purposes but failed to gain US support. In 2007, Beijing alarmed military observers in the US by shooting down one of its own satellites – a move seen as proof that China could theoretically target enemy satellites and thus already possesses the capability for space warfare.

Chinese military experts fiercely denied that the country might be planning to build weapons in space.

“[Gen Xu] just characterised the source of a threat and stated a technological outlook,” said Wang Xiangsui at Beihang University. But he added: “Of course, all satellites, military or private, have a certain military background.”

Some security experts believe Beijing is playing down the air force chief’s comments because he was not so much expressing a strategic shift as lobbying for more funds in competition with the PLA navy.

The timing and style of Gen Xu’s message resembled similar comments by China’s navy chief this year. They come a week ahead of the 60th anniversary of the PLA air force.

In April, a week before the PLA navy celebrated its 60th anniversary, Admiral Wu Shengli, its commander-in-chief, announced through state media that the service would develop a new generation of warships. The remarks were seen as confirmation of plans for an aircraft carrier but China has not clarified its stance since then.