The Foreign Ministry said yesterday that China's recent outer space test was not in violation of any international rules.

"The experiment was not directed at any country nor did it pose any threat to any country," said Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu.

She reiterated that China is opposed to the weaponization of outer space or an arms race.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Wednesday expressed concern again over China's recent outer space test, calling it "a troubling symptom of military activities that are outsized for Beijing's interests".

Responding to the creation of a new US-Africa Command headquarters, Jiang said China hopes all countries do more for peace, stability and development of Africa.

The Bush administration announced earlier this week that the defence department is establishing a new US-Africa Command headquarters to coordinate all US military and security interests throughout the continent.

Jiang said the ministry noted the report, but pointed out that maintaining and promoting lasting peace and stability in Africa is the common desire of all the countries in the region.

Commenting on a trial in Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Jiang said the suspect named "Yu Shanjiang" is a Chinese citizen and thus the Consular Agreement signed between China and Canada in 1997 does not apply to the case.

Jiang was responding to a report that Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper was displeased that Canadian diplomats did not attend the trial in China of the so-called Canadian citizen.

Jiang stressed that Yu is a Chinese citizen of Uygur ethnicity. He is suspected to be involved in a series of violent incidents and terrorism activities. She said Yu is on an international wanted list and is a key member of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, declared an international terrorist organization by the United Nations.

(China Daily 02/09/2007 page2)