CHINA has denied that it test-fired a missile but instead claimed that their "nuclear-capable nuke" was a spacecraft after their secret test was exposed.

Zhao Lijian, the spokesman for China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said yesterday that the test was intended for peaceful space exploration.

On Sunday, the Financial Times revealed that China had tested a nuclear-capable missile in August that had circled the Earth triggering panic among global leaders.

However, the Chinese military were forced to deny that the test involved a missile.

"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," Mr Lijian said in a press briefing.

"It can provide a convenient and cheap way for humans to use space peacefully.

"Many companies in the world have carried out similar experiments."

He went on to explain that what had separated from the "spacecraft" was supporting equipment that had "burned and disintegrated".

He added: "China will work together with other countries in the world to benefit mankind in the peaceful use of space."

The chilling test alarmed US officials and shows how China has made astonishing progress on the development of its hypersonic weapons, sources said.

A hypersonic missile travels five times faster than the speed of sound and can reach distances of up to 1,500 miles, with Russia using the technology to build cutting-edge missiles in recent years.

It comes after a newspaper controlled by the Chinese communist regime boasted the country's military was "unstoppable".

The Communist Party’s mouthpiece, the Global Times, said: "It is important to note the unstoppable trend that China is narrowing the gap with the US in some key military technologies as China is continuously developing its economic and technological strength."

While denying it was engaging in an arms race, the article wrote about the ambitions of Beijing to surpass Washington’s military dominance in Asia.

The Global Times warned: "China's military build-up will focus on the Taiwan Straits and the South China Sea. 

"It is inevitable that China will take an upper hand over US military strength in these areas thanks to the geographical proximity and the continuous increase of China's input."

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