China says it was testing a new spaceship, not a hypersonic missile

• Just a day after The Financial Times scooped that China tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in August, Beijing is now denying the reports claiming that it was merely testing a totally harmless, non-nuclear-capable spacecraft.

The country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Zhao Lijian commented on the test at a press conference on Monday saying it “was not a missile, it was a space vehicle,” according to Reuters. Lijian also added that the test occurred in July and not August, as reported by the Financial Times. It’s possible China is telling the truth here — but it’s also perfectly plausible that it’s using the new story to cover up an actual missile test.

“This test was a routine spacecraft experiment to verify the reusable technology of spacecraft, which is of great significance for reducing the cost of spacecraft use,” he said to the press in a statement obtained by CNN. “It can provide a convenient and cheap way for humans to use space peacefully. Many companies in the world have carried out similar experiments.”