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China said Monday that launching a new spacecraft in August was a test of whether the vehicle could be reused, denying reports in the Financial Times that it had launched a rocket carrying a hypersonic missile. Has tested, as the United States has expressed concern about hypersonic missiles, Chinese and Russian technology and its potential military applications.
ChinaOn Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Xiao Lijian said that the August launch included a spacecraft instead of a missile and that it was important to reduce the cost of using the spacecraft. Can provide an easy and affordable way to Use of space “
The Chinese official comments followed The Financial Times reported on Saturday that China had launched in August. To A hypersonic glide rocket It flies through space, orbiting the world before traveling to its destination, which misses it by about two dozen miles.
Hypersonic missiles travel in the upper air at five times the speed of sound, or about 6,200 kilometers per hour (3,850 miles per hour). It is slower than an intercontinental ballistic missile, but the shape of a hypersonic glide vehicle allows it to be aimed at or off target.
Combining a glide vehicle with a missile that can partially launch it into orbit - a so-called Fractional Orbit Bombardment System (FOBS) - can eliminate reaction time and opponents of conventional defense methods.
China’s space program is run by its military and is closely linked to its agenda of building hypersonic missiles and other technologies that could change the balance of power with the United States. Zhao’s comments on the August test came after China sent another three crew members to its space station on a six-month mission.
Xiao said that China will work with other countries of the world for the peaceful use of space and for the benefit of mankind.
‘We don’t know how we can defend against this kind of technology.’
The United States has expressed concern over the so-called “routine test” of China.
“We are concerned about what China is doing with hypersonic,” US Disarmament Ambassador Robert Wood told reporters in Geneva on Monday after a report that Beijing had tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile.
“We don’t know how we can defend against this kind of technology, not China or Russia,” he said.
Along with its space program, China’s expansion into hypersonic missile technology and other advanced fields has raised concerns as Beijing increasingly insists on its claims to the South China and East China Seas and large parts of its disputed highlands. Giving. Mountain border with India
Japan will step up defense against ‘new threat’
Japan, one of China’s main regional rivals, has said it will step up its defense against what it calls a new offensive Chinese weapon.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno on Monday described it as a “new threat” that would make it difficult to deal with traditional equipment. He said Japan would increase its ability to detect, track and shoot “any air threat”.
Matsono said China was rapidly advancing the development of hypersonic nuclear weapons to acquire a strike capability that could break missile defenses.
He criticized China for increasing its defense spending, especially for its nuclear and missile capabilities, without specifying its intentions.
Matsuno said China’s rapid expansion and growing military activity in maritime and airspace has become a strong security concern for the region, including Japan and the international community.
(France, AP, 24 with Reuters)
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