Saudi Arabia has been assisted by China to improve missile technology through military purchases

CNN reported that the US government obtained intelligence that Saudi Arabia, with the assistance of China, significantly increased its ballistic missile program through military purchases.

The CNN report quoted three directly informed sources as saying that the Trump administration did not disclose the news to important members of Congress at first. The Democrats found this through the external channels of the government and were therefore quite dissatisfied. Members of the Democratic Party believe that the Government has deliberately not mentioned this matter in the briefing.

According to reports, confidential information shows that Saudi Arabia is expanding and upgrading its missile infrastructure and technology through military purchases with China. Some members of Congress are worried that Saudi Arabia’s move will trigger an arms race in the Middle East, intensifying relations that have already been strained. However, there are also concerns that the move is the Trump administration’s strategy to acquiesce in Saudi Arabia’s practice in order to counter the Iranian threat.

Seeking assistance from China and other countries to catch up with Iranian missile forces

CNN quoted sources as saying that after the US intelligence department conducted an assessment, it failed to reach a conclusion on Saudi Arabia’s ultimate goal. But one possibility is that Saudi Arabia hopes that one day it will be able to install a nuclear warhead on the missile, and now the missile system is one step. When Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Salman accepted the US media interview last year, it has made it clear that if Iran has nuclear weapons, Saudi Arabia will follow.

It is understood that Saudi Arabia is the largest buyer of US armaments. However, according to the Missile Technology Control System (MTCR) concluded in 1987, the United States must closely monitor the output missile technology and not sell ballistic missiles to Saudi Arabia. However, Saudi Arabia has stated its position from time to time, emphasizing the need to catch up with Iran’s missile forces and seeking assistance from other countries, including China, which is not a party to the agreement.