Leaked 'top secret' documents reveal China's hypersonic threat to US
Several of the materials also indicate that Washington monitors Beijing’s expanding military footprint abroad, noting a Chinese company was negotiating to build a deepwater port on Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast. Girish Linganna reports
FollowLeaked United States Intelligence documents have revealed that a Chinese hypersonic weapon is likely to penetrate United States missile defence systems. The leaked papers that were marked 'secret' and 'top secret' first appeared on messaging app Discord early in March but were not individually validated by US officials.
They also provide glimpses of China's recent military activities, including its missile and naval tests, in addition to Ukrainian and Russian issues. The CNN and Washington Post reported on a test of China’s DF-27 hypersonic glide vehicle, which flew for 12 minutes across 2,100 km (1,300 miles) and had a 'high probability' of penetrating US ballistic missile defences.
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US government officials announced last year that DF-27 ballistic missiles could be intermediate-range or intercontinental missiles with a range of 5,000-8,000 km. Another document noted China’s Yushen LHA-31 helicopter-carrying assault ship engaged in manoeuvres, a vessel that is expected to play a crucial role in any military action against Taiwan, according to CNN.
Several of the materials also indicate that Washington monitors Beijing’s expanding military footprint abroad, noting a Chinese company was negotiating to build a deepwater port on Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast.
A comprehensive free-trade agreement with Managua, which switched diplomatic recognition from Taipei to Beijing in 2021, was expected to be accelerated by Beijing in February. Other leaked documents sought to assess the likelihood of China sending aid to Russia. The Chinese would respond strongly and, possibly, increase the scale and scope of the material it is prepared to provide Russia 'if Ukrainian strikes hit a location of strategic significance or appear to target senior Russian officials', CNN quoted one document as saying.
China could, possibly, justify providing Russia with lethal aid by citing a significant Ukrainian attack that used US or NATO weapons, CNN reports. A significant Ukrainian attack would likely be seen by Beijing as 'a direct indication that Washington is directly responsible for the escalation of the conflict'.
Earlier this year, China approved the provision of lethal aid to Russia in Ukraine, according to a US intercept of Russian intelligence information. China has also approved the disguise of military equipment as civilian items in order to provide Russian intelligence with lethal aid.
Beijing rejected US Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s assertion that Beijing would 'consider providing lethal support' to Moscow in February.
Hu Xijin, the former chief editor of the nationalist tabloid, Global Times, said many of the leaked documents pertaining to China came from signals intelligence, indicating that the US gathered information on China using technical means. As a result of an unmasked and dismantled network of intelligence informants inside China, US intelligence on key issues in China has been 'vague' in part, Hu told media persons.
