BEIJING —
China stated Monday its launch of a brand new spacecraft was merely a take a look at to see whether or not the car might be re-used.
International Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian stated the launch concerned a spacecraft reasonably than a missile and was of “nice significance for lowering the use-cost of spacecraft and will present a handy and inexpensive technique to make a spherical journey for mankind’s peaceable use of house.”
China’s house program is run by its navy and is carefully tied to its agenda of constructing hypersonic missiles and different applied sciences that would alter the steadiness of energy with the US.
“China will work along with different international locations on the earth for the peaceable use of house and the good thing about mankind,” Zhao stated.
Zhao’s feedback on the August take a look at got here days after China launched a second three-person crew to employees its house station on a six-month mission.
Alongside its house program, China’s enlargement into hypersonic missile expertise and different superior fields has raised considerations as Beijing turns into more and more assertive over its claims to seas and islands within the South China and East China Seas and to giant chunks of territory alongside its disputed high-mountain border with India.
