China denies report of hypersonic missile test, says tested space
vehicle
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[October 18, 2021]
BEIJING (Reuters) -China tested a
space vehicle in July, not a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile as
reported by the Financial Times, the Chinese foreign ministry said on
Monday.
Quoting five people familiar with the matter, the Financial Times
reported on Saturday that China had tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic
missile that flew through space, circling the globe before cruising down
toward its target, which it missed by about two dozen miles.. The paper
said the feat had "caught U.S. intelligence by surprise".
"It was not a missile, it was a space vehicle," ministry spokesman Zhao
Lijian told a regular press briefing in Beijing when asked about the
report, adding it had been a "routine test" for the purpose of testing
technology to reuse the vehicle.
The significance of a reusability test is that it can "provide a cheap
and convenient method for humans to peacefully travel to and from
space", Zhao said, adding that many companies had carried out similar
tests.
The foreign ministry said the test had taken place in July, not in
August as reported by the Financial Times.
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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian attends a news
conference in Beijing, China September 10, 2020. REUTERS/Carlos
Garcia Rawlins
The United States is closely watching China's
military modernisation programme to assess the possible risks posed
to it by its increasingly assertive strategic competitor.
(Reporting by Yew Lun Tian; Editing by Catherine Evans and Gareth
Jones)
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