Not tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile-China

China says it has tested a hypersonic space vehicle in July and denied the media report of testing a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile. A leading British newspaper had reported on Sunday that China tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in August that circled the globe before speeding towards its target, demonstrating an advanced space capability that caught US intelligence by surprise.  The newspaper in its report  said, the missile missed its target by about two-dozen miles, according to three people briefed on the intelligence. But the test showed that China had made astounding progress on hypersonic weapons and was far more advanced than US officials realized. Responding to it, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing in Beijing that a test of a hypersonic vehicle was carried out. "It was not a missile, it was a space vehicle," he said, 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.

Meanwhile, the United States has accused China of deviating from its minimal nuclear deterrence strategy reacting to the report that Beijing had recently tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile. US State Department spokesman Ned Price sought to dismiss any attempts to play down its significance. He cited a US count of “at least” 250 ballistic missile launches by China in the nine months through September. The United States is closely watching China's military modernization programme to assess the possible risks posed to it by its increasingly assertive strategic competitor.