China's Foreign Ministry on Monday denied that the country had tested a nuclear-capable hypersonic missile in August, as Financial Times claimed in an exclusive report on the weekend.

"It's understood that this was a routine test of a space vehicle to verify technology of spacecraft's reusability," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said, adding the test is essential for reducing the cost of spacecraft use, providing a convenient and inexpensive way for humans to use space for peaceful purposes.