The launch of a new spacecraft by China on Monday was only a test to evaluate if the vehicle could be reused, the country stated.

The launch was of "huge significance for reducing the use-cost of spacecraft and might provide a convenient and economical way to make a round journey for mankind's peaceful use of space," according to Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian.

China's space program is overseen by the military and is tightly linked to the country's goal of developing hypersonic weapons and other technologies that could tip the power balance against the US.

“China will work together with other countries in the world for the peaceful use of space and the benefit of mankind,” Zhao said.

Zhao's comments on the August test come just days after China deployed a second crew to the International Space Station. When finished, their six-month journey will be China's longest crewed space mission, and the three-member crew will set a new record for the most time spent in space by Chinese astronauts.

China's expansion into hypersonic missile technology and other advanced fields, in addition to its space program, has raised concerns as Beijing asserts its claims to seas and islands in the South and East China Seas, as well as large swaths of land along its disputed high-mountain border with India.

Ned Price, a spokesman for the US State Department, declined to comment on intelligence about the August test, but said the US was concerned about China's nuclear capabilities, especially delivery systems for nuclear weapons.