Chinese missile launch very concerning, says top US general
The top US general has said China's suspected hypersonic missile test is close to a Sputnik moment, referring to the Soviet satellite launch that sparked a Cold War arms race. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley said in an interview with Bloomberg News that the Chinese military was "expanding rapidly". The Financial Times reports that the test stunned the US military. Beijing denies any missile test, saying instead it was a spacecraft. "What we saw was a very significant event of a test of a hypersonic weapon system. And it is very concerning," Gen Milley told Bloomberg. "I don't know if it's quite a Sputnik moment, but I think it's very close to that. It has all of our attention." His comment is the first official acknowledgement by the US of claims that China conducted two missile tests over the summer. Reports indicate that it was a nuclear-capable missile that could evade US air defence systems. The 1957 Soviet satellite...