China Denies Pakistan's Hypersonic Missiles Plea, Fearing Tech Leak to West and Recent Equipment Failures against India

In a notable development in regional military dynamics, China has reportedly rejected a formal request from Pakistan for the acquisition and technology transfer of advanced hypersonic missiles.

The decision is believed to be influenced by a combination of factors, including the unsatisfactory performance of some Chinese-supplied military hardware in Pakistan's possession and Beijing's apprehension that its closely-guarded hypersonic technology could be exposed to Western intelligence through Pakistan.

Sources indicate that China has clearly communicated to Pakistan that its premier hypersonic systems, such as the DF-17, are not approved for export.

Unlike many of its other military products which have specific export versions, Beijing has not developed a variant of its hypersonic missiles for international sale, effectively making the technology unavailable to its allies for the foreseeable future.

This refusal marks a significant moment in the otherwise strong "all-weather" defence partnership between the two nations. Pakistan has long been a primary recipient of Chinese military technology, including fighter jets, naval ships, and conventional missile systems.

The request for hypersonic missiles, along with a Transfer of Technology (ToT) agreement for local manufacturing, was perceived by Islamabad as a crucial step to maintain strategic balance with its neighbour, India.

Hypersonic missiles are a new class of weapon capable of flying at over five times the speed of sound (Mach 5) and executing unpredictable manoeuvres during flight.

This combination of speed and agility makes them exceptionally difficult for conventional missile defence systems to intercept, posing a significant challenge to existing military doctrines.

Pakistan's push to acquire this technology is a direct response to India's own progress in the field. India has been actively developing its hypersonic capabilities, including the successful testing of its Hypersonic Technology Demonstrator Vehicle (HSTDV).

The goal for Pakistan was to bridge this emerging technological gap with a reliable and powerful deterrent. However, China’s decision appears to be rooted in two primary concerns.

Firstly, there is growing apprehension in Beijing regarding the performance and reliability of its military equipment in real-world scenarios. Recent reports have highlighted operational issues with some Chinese systems used by Pakistan against India, which has likely made China cautious about exporting its most sophisticated and unproven strategic assets.

Secondly, China is highly protective of its hypersonic technology, viewing it as a critical element of its national deterrence strategy, primarily aimed at the United States and its allies. There are fears within the Chinese establishment that providing these systems to Pakistan could lead to potential leaks.

Given Pakistan's complex geopolitical relationships, there is concern that Western powers might gain access to the missiles for technical analysis, compromising China's strategic advantage.

For Pakistan, this denial is a considerable setback, compelling it to re-evaluate its strategic options. The nation may be forced to intensify its indigenous research and development efforts or seek alternative international partners, although viable options for such advanced technology are scarce.

While economic and military cooperation between China and Pakistan continues on other fronts, this decision underscores the strategic limits of their partnership.

 

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[Mc Addy]

Pakistan wants to fight is a joke , after asking for ceasefire. This country is taking chances .

 

[bks78]

Chinese arms performed below average during India pakistan war. So chinese should focus on testing, reliability and accuracy before selling to international market. Pakis are not your testing agents. They also lost confidence on your arms. You can sell false narrative in social media, CNN, BBC, NY Times. But not to defence experts.

 

[Hawkeye]

But they will secretly give, we can experience during OP Sindoor 2.0.

 

[Baiju Bhaskaran]

Even if they give, no issues. It cannot match our AD capabilities.

 

[Flanker]

Lmao, imagine China’s ‘best missile’ getting into our hands like their mighty PL-15.

 

[Rinku Pandey]

Hypersonic cruise missiles are very niche tech. Only Russia and China have inducted them into their Armed forces. China will not provide this tech for atleast 5 years to terrorist nation Pakistan.

 

[Radha Ramanan]

China still knows that it cannot fully trust Pakistan for the transfer of arms, as it knows better. A lot of Western technology was given to China from Pakistan when Pakistan was a "bad boy." They had access to the F-16; the Italian Grifo radar that was supplied to Italy for the F-7 project was given to China long ago. The same radar appeared on the C-802 anti-ship missiles and many other missiles. Again, the German advanced torpedoes, DA42, were given to China, as well as lots of missile tech. There are some idiotic nations that supply arms to anyone with money and reap the consequences. Bangladesh is going to give China the sonars and torpedoes we gave them!

They know America has a tight hold on Pakistan, even though they do not trust each other. It does not take long for somebody to reveal the DF-17 secrets to the US if the sale happens. Moreover, when Pakistan fires the missile on India, the flight will be known, and immediate countermeasures can be formed, just like getting the radar signature of the JF-17, JF-10, and the Rafale signature.

 

[binu boro]

Let China give all their best weapons to Pakistan. India should not mind it, as illiterate Pakistanis will not know how to use high-tech weapons even if they are given the best of training. See what they have done with PL-15E, HQ-9, and other Chinese equipment. They made China red-faced and their global markets tumble.

 

[Sir Capt]

India should be restricting trade and diplomacy even more with China, as well as aggressively posturing against Chinese forces. Establish better relationships with Taiwan and recognize the Uyghurs as an oppressed minority.

 

[DS]

Shaurya missile is India’s first hypersonic weapon. It has a Naval version called Sagarika. Both are inducted into the Indian Army and Navy respectively.

 

[Abhishek Alva]

If China provides hypersonic missiles to Pakistan, we should sell Agni missiles to Taiwan. Though I respect the Chinese civilization's contribution to humanity for thousands of years, the current communist government (CCP) they have is a "patron of global terror."

 

[pgahlot]

China knew P0rkis very well that for some money they can sell the technology to any other country. Also hypersonic tech is very new, and no country will risk of giving it to any other country.