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China did not test hypersonic nuclear missile, foreign ministry says
- China tested a space vehicle for possible reuse, not a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile as reported by the Financial Times, ministry says
- Analysts blame speculation over the ‘China threat’ on a lack of transparency, while playing down chances Beijing will launch nuclear weapons into space
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China has denied reports that it recently tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile, saying it was only carrying out routine test flights in a bid to recycle spacecraft to reduce exploration costs.
“This was a routine test of a space vehicle to verify the technology of their reusability,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a regular briefing in Beijing on Monday.
The launched object “was not a missile” with a military purpose, but “a space vehicle” for civilian aims, he emphasised.
Zhao said the experiment was essential for reducing the costs of spacecraft use, which would provide a convenient and affordable way for the world to use space for peaceful purposes.
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US ‘deeply concerned’ despite China denying it recently tested hypersonic nuclear missile
US ‘deeply concerned’ despite China denying it recently tested hypersonic nuclear missile
His remarks followed a Financial Times report that China had launched a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in August that circled the globe before speeding toward its target.
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