China is playing down concerns about its out of control missile

Chinese state media has played down concerns about the debris of an uncontrolled missile launched as part of the country's efforts to build its own space station.

"It is very likely that debris will fall into international waters, and there is no reason to worry," the English-language Global Times newspaper quoted an expert as saying.

Space experts have warned of the possibility of debris falling due to the uncontrolled re-entry of the main 20-ton section of the launch vehicle into the Earth's atmosphere, which they estimate will happen early next week or Monday.

The Global Times wrote that it is "common in space" for debris to fall on Earth.

The newspaper described the warnings as "nothing but Western hype about China's threat with regard to the advancement of space technology."