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China allays fears on missile test

"Aged satellite killed using projectile"

Beijing: China on Friday allayed global fears of a space arms race amid reports that it had successfully "killed" an aging satellite for the first time using a ground-based ballistic missile.

``There's no need to feel threatened about this,'' said Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao when a confirmation of the reported test was sought.

However, Mr. Liu declined to confirm that China had downed one of its own satellites. "So far, I have not been informed about it by relevant authorities,'' he told PTI on the sidelines of the Foreign Ministry's Chinese New Year reception. He added that China had no intention of triggering an arms race in space.

``We are not going to get into any arms race in space,'' he said, noting that China was against the weaponisation of the outer space.

``China has always stood for the peaceful uses of outer space and against introducing weapons into outer space,'' he said.

``It is not only beneficial to enhancing international security and stability but also in the common interests of all states to ensure the peaceful uses of outer space and to prevent the weaponisation of and an arms race in outer space,'' he said. — PTI

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