US demands answers on China test
The US has asked China to explain its intentions after Beijing reportedly carried out a weapons test in space last week.
It is thought the Chinese used a ground-based, medium-range ballistic missile to destroy a weather satellite.
The US state department said it did not want the "militarisation of space".
China's foreign ministry refused to confirm or deny the report but said Beijing was opposed to "any form of arms race".
The test, if confirmed, would be the first known satellite intercept for more than 20 years.
US state department spokesman Tom Casey said the Bush administration had made clear to China its opposition to such tests.
In space programmes, he said "small things can cause very big problems".
China advocates the peaceful use of space and opposes the weaponisation of space
Liu Jianchao,
Chinese foreign ministry
clipped from: news.bbc.co.uk