Avoiding a Space Arms Race

Bob Brewin reported on a House Armed Services Committee hearing held on Wednesday during which a consultant with the Council on Foreign Relations said the United States should pursue anti-satellite weapons that could disable foreign-operated satellites.

In the article, Bruce MacDonald, who served as assistant director for national security at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and as senior director for science and technology on the National Security Council staff from 1995 to 1999, said the United States must develop offensive systems in such a way as to not lead to a space arms race.

From the article:

If the United States acquires offensive space capabilities, it must do so "in a manner that other nations view as unthreatening as possible," he said. "Otherwise, we could create a self-fulfilling prophecy: As nations like China or Russia see evidence of U.S. attempted space hegemony, they would accelerate their own efforts, just as we would if the roles were reversed."

I'm really not sure how this can be done. Foreign nations will view any attempt to develop anti-satellite weapons as a pursuit of space hegemony and as threatening. After all, MacDonald says the United States would view it this way "if the roles were reversed."

Anyone have any idea as to how the United States could avoid a space arms race?