"Development of Chinese Hypersonic Missile Supported by Advanced US Technology"

[Asia Economy New York=Special Correspondent Joselgina] As the Biden administration recently defined China as the 'sole competitor' in its national security strategy, an analysis has emerged suggesting that China's development of hypersonic missiles may have been impossible without advanced U.S. technology. It has been confirmed that since 2019, about 50 U.S. companies have sold related products to Chinese entities through intermediaries.

The Washington Post (WP) reported on the 17th (local time) that after analyzing publicly available contracts and Chinese government documents, more than 300 U.S. technologies have been sold since 2019 to dozens of Chinese companies involved in hypersonic and missile technology development.

This confirms the possibility that U.S. advanced technology was used in the development process of China's hypersonic missiles, which previously surprised the United States. Among the U.S. companies that transferred core technologies to China, some were even supported by the Department of Defense. WP pointed out, "Ultimately, U.S. taxpayers' money flowed into the development of Chinese weapons."

Two companies, Jonah Technology based in Arizona and Metacom Technology headquartered in California, sold aerodynamic simulation technology to the China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics (CAAA) through resellers. This is one of the key technologies that reduce missile technology development time. CAAA was responsible for the design in last year's test launch of China's hypersonic missile. Additionally, in 2020, it was confirmed that Ansys, based in Pennsylvania, sold software to Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT) through a subsidiary of a Chinese partner company.

This revelation has drawn more attention as it was disclosed after the Biden administration released its first national security strategy since taking office, naming China as the greatest threat. Since China succeeded in the test launch of the so-called 'game-changer' hypersonic missile last year, U.S. vigilance has increased significantly.

Hypersonic missiles fly at speeds exceeding five times the speed of sound and are considered next-generation weapons combining the advantages of traditional ballistic and cruise missiles. They can strike anywhere on Earth within 1 to 2 hours and are difficult to detect and intercept with current missile defense systems. Earlier, U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Mark Milley compared this to the 'Sputnik moment' when the former Soviet Union launched the world's first artificial satellite.

WP emphasized the need for stronger controls, stating, "Despite the Biden administration's stringent export controls due to national security concerns, Chinese private companies are transferring advanced U.S. technology they have acquired to Chinese military-related organizations."

Scientists working at the China Academy of Military Sciences and affiliated support companies told WP in interviews that advanced U.S. technologies such as sophisticated aerospace engineering software not only fill significant technological gaps within China but also form the core of Chinese weapons development. A Chinese scientist specializing in hypersonics said, "In this case, U.S. technology is superior," adding, "Certain tasks cannot be performed without foreign technology."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.