Chinese defence industry continues to depend on foreign technology, says US report

Foreign weapons and technologies are continuing to aid the advancement of Chinese defence industries, said the US Department of Defense (DoD) in a report published on 16 August.

In its annual report to Congress, the DoD said that defence industry reforms and foreign technologies have enabled China to produce a number of advanced military systems.

"Augmented by the direct acquisition of foreign weapons and technology, reforms have enabled China to develop and produce advanced weapon systems that incorporate mid-1990s technology in many areas, and some systems - particularly ballistic missiles - that rival any in the world today," it said.

The report added that Chinese industries were preparing to launch an indigenous programme to build aircraft carriers later this year as well as developing several types of airborne early warning and control aircraft, including the KJ-200 and the KJ-2000, both of which are based on Russian designs. China is also expanding cyber warfare capabilities, it said.