China's Missile Exports and Assistance to East Asia

China's Missile Exports and Assistance to East Asia

China has engaged in missile transfers to East Asia since the 1980's.China reportedly transferred short-range ballistic missiles (SRBMs) and production technologies to North Korea. Again in the1990s, reports surfaced that China was assisting North Korea with a new long-range ballistic missile project and training 200 North Korean engineers in Beijing. China called these reports "totally groundless." Again in 2000, reports surfaced that Chinese firms continue to provide missile-related materials, raw materials, and/or assistance to North Korea. [Unclassified Report to Congress on the Acquisition of Technology Relating to Weapons of Mass Destruction and Advanced Conventional Munitions 1 January Through 30 June 2000.]

In addition, China has also been involved with missile transfers to countries in East Asia, other than North Korea. Some reports indicate that in 1990, China exported 50 C-801 cruise missiles to Thailand. Although China's missile and missile technology transfers in East Asia, particularly those to North Korea, have created some concern in the West, attention of the nonporliferation community have centered on China's contribution to missile proliferation in the regions of South Asia and the Middle East.

For additional information on open-source reports of Chinese exports and assistance, please consult the CNS Missile Abstracts database.

CHINA'S MISSILE EXPORTS AND ASSISTANCE TO EAST ASIA

COUNTRY	REPORTED AREA OF MISSILE ASSISTANCE FROM CHINA
NORTH KOREA	Cruise missiles: --HY-1 --HY-2 Expertise/training: --Scud reverse engineering --Long-range missile project --Rocket engine design --Metallurgy --Airframe expertise --Small warhead design Missile technology: --Rocket design and production --Metallurgy --Airframes --Fiber optic gyroscopes --Accelerometers Surface-to-air missiles (SAMs): --HQ-2
THAILAND	Cruise missiles: --50 YJ-1/C-801 missiles

[CHINA'S MISSILE EXPORTS]

[CHINA'S NUCLEAR EXPORTS AND ASSISTANCE TO EAST ASIA]

This material is produced independently for NTI by the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies at the Monterey Institute of International Studies and does not necessarily reflect the opinions of and has not been independently verified by NTI or its directors, officers, employees, agents. Copyright © 2007 by MIIS.