A U.K. official told POLITICO that U.s. officials believe China has deployed a sophisticated military system to a U.n. building near the United Nations.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, said there were no indications the Chinese system was aimed at disrupting the U. n. building.
The official, speaking on condition that his identity not be used, said the U,s.
believed that the Chinese military was attempting to test out new systems that it had developed.
There are currently at least three systems that are active in China, the official said, and one of them could potentially be an advanced missile.
China has long claimed to be developing missiles that can penetrate U. s. defenses, but U. ,s.
and other experts have expressed concern that Chinese technology may not be fully tested or widely deployed.
“It would be very concerning if China is able to test something like that,” said William B. Gaddis, a defense analyst and former U. N. Under Secretary for Political Affairs and Security Affairs.
“It’s an area where the United States would want to make sure that China’s capabilities and its capabilities in this area are well understood.”
Gaddis said China’s development of missile systems would be particularly worrisome if it could potentially strike U. s territory, which would be an escalation of the tensions over its territorial claims in the South China Sea.
China is also known to have deployed advanced missiles in the East China Sea, the South Chinese Sea and the Southwestern Pacific.
U.s.-China relations have been strained by Chinese efforts to expand its military presence in the region.
Beijing has also sought to build military bases in the disputed South China Seas, a move that has raised tensions with neighboring Japan and other nations.
Officials at the U .s.
Embassy in Beijing declined to comment, citing ongoing discussions.
