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Carrier rocket of the type »Long March« (here manned space flight, archive picture)
Photo: Li Gang / dpa
China says it has tested a new spacecraft with reusable technology.
This was confirmed by the spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Zhao Lijian.
The Financial Times had previously reported that China had tested a hypersonic missile capable of nuclear weapons in August.
However, Lijian said, "It was a spaceship, not a rocket."
He spoke of a "routine test."
It was about using technology again.
This is important in space travel in order to reduce costs.
"Many other countries and companies are doing similar tests." Remains of the spaceship had fallen into the East China Sea.
The spokesman did not give any further details.
Five times the speed of sound
The "Financial Times" had reported, citing five anonymous sources, that the "rocket" had circled the globe once in low orbit before it missed its target by about 15 kilometers.
It was taken as evidence that China's military was far more advanced with its hypersonic weapons program than US intelligence agencies had previously assumed.
Hypersonic weapons are particularly difficult to intercept because they can reach more than five times the speed of sound.
Both the US and Russia are currently working on hypersonic missiles.
North Korea also stated that it tested a hypersonic missile in September.
US Republican sounds the alarm
US Congressman Mike Gallagher interpreted the report as a wake-up call.
"This test should serve as a call to action," said the Republican.
"If we stick to our current inactive course, (...) we will lose the New Cold War with communist China within this decade."
According to Gallagher, China is increasingly capable of undermining US missile defense and threatening the country with nuclear strikes.
The Republican comes from the US state of Wisconsin, in the House of Representatives he sits on the important committee on the US armed forces.
lukewarm / dpa