China denies report of hypersonic missile

China tested a space vehicle in July, not a nuclearcapable hypersonic missile as reported by the Financial Times, the Chinese foreign ministry said in a statement yesterday.

Quoting five people familiar with the matter, the Financial Times reported on Saturday that China had tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile that flew through space, circling the globe before cruising down toward its target, which it missed by about two dozen miles..

The paper said the feat had “caught US intelligence by surprise”.