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China confirms missile test

China acknowledged firing an anti-satellite missile but said yesterday that it had informed the US and Japan of the weapons test and was opposed to any arms race in space.

Both Washington and Tokyo have expressed concern over the Jan. 11 test in which China used a missile to shoot down one of its own old weather satellites.

Both countries criticized the test as a step toward militarizing outer space and demanded explanations from Beijing.

In China's first public comment about the test, Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao (劉建超) said Beijing has shown a "responsible attitude" by offering explanations to the US and Japan and insisted Beijing has all along "upheld the peaceful use of outer space."

Liu said China has never and will not participate in any outer space arms race.

"The test is not targeted at any country and will not threaten any country," Liu said.

Japan, Britain and Australia among other countries also were concerned that debris caused by the test could scatter and strike other satellites orbiting the earth.

Foreign Ministry officials informed US Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Hill of the test in a weekend meeting in Beijing.

Hill, who heads the State Department's East Asia bureau, told Beijing that they should be more transparent about their military activities and their defense budget.

He said that doing so would help "avoid any sort of misunderstandings, not only with the United States, but other countries around the world," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said on Monday in Washington.
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